Moraine Park Technical College will host their Heavy Metal Tours event during October’s manufacturing month. This free event offers participants a behind-the-scenes opportunity to tour local manufacturing facilities and learn more about the skills needed to fill current employment gaps.

The events will run from 4:30-8:00 p.m. Participants will meet at the Fond du Lac campus, and after a brief introduction, they will be bussed to the Heavy Metal Tour event locations.

Tours will take place at the following Fond du Lac area manufacturers. A light meal will be served.

• Wednesday, October 2, Kondex Corporation
• Thursday, October 10, Fives Group and RB Royal Industries, Inc.
• Wednesday, October 16, Wells Manufacturing Corporation and Mid-States Aluminum Corp.
• Wednesday, October 23, BCI Burke Co. and Mercury Marine

“The manufacturing world is changing,” Marcia Arndt associate dean of manufacturing at Moraine Park said. “This is a fun opportunity to highlight our local partners, the advancing technology, and the overall changes within the industry. 

Space is limited for this unique opportunity, and registration is required. Interested individuals are invited to participate in all four weeks, or they may choose their preferred date(s). For more information, or to register, visit morainepark.edu/heavymetal or call (262) 306-5321.

Do you remember when manufacturing jobs were known as dark and dangerous? Moraine Park’s CNC/Tool and Die instructor, Jim Hokenson, has been working to eliminate that myth. He has a mission not only to train workers for this career field but also to re-educate the community on the realities of the industry.

“The truth is, our local manufacturers have clean factories with state-of-the-art equipment, “Jim said. “They provide a steady career with great benefits and an even better income.”

There’s no denying the importance of manufacturing in our world today, and for those that are gravitating towards this industry, it is all in the numbers.

“There will always be a need for a good tool and die specialist,” Jim said. “Once you have the manufacturing skill sets, you will find that there are jobs available all over Wisconsin.”

Jim has been with the College for 20-years and is also a Moraine Park alumni. During his time, he has worked hard to become established in the community, specifically with educating our youth on the manufacturing career options.

“The earlier we can introduce options, the better,” Jim said. “I think it’s important that we identify and build upon skills.”

His 2019 class has 17 second-year students, all of whom will be graduating with their two-year technical diploma. Most were hired in the industry before graduating and there are many more jobs to fill.

“It seems that we can’t teach them fast enough,” Jim said. “The employers we work with know the value of educating students with the essential real-world skills. We try to work alongside both the companies and students to find a good fit all around. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to teach and influence our local workforce.”

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If at first, you find success, keep looking for new ways to grow! Moraine Park alumnus and current student, Cory Bennett of Beaver Dam, has been doing just that.

After graduating from Beaver Dam High School in 1999, Cory found employment and began to build his life.

“I’ve always succeeded in school, but didn’t consider continuing my education right after high school,” Cory said. “I found success in my employment, but eventually I wanted more for myself.”

In 2010, Cory began his mechanical design technology degree at Moraine Park. It didn’t take him long to adapt to college life and soon he was a member of the student senate and Phi Thea Kappa, a 2-year college high honors program. He was also a part of the National Community College Aerospace Scholarship Program, an elite group of students who were given the opportunity to participate in research, space rover robotic design, and mock missions. In fact, of the 6,000 applicants, only 200 were chosen nationwide.

“This opportunity was a result of my membership with Phi Theta Kappa,” he said. “The aerospace certificate is just one of the many opportunities that came as a result of my time at Moraine Park.”

There’s no denying that Cory worked hard at the College, and that was noticed by not only his instructors but also by a local employer, Wells Vehicle Electronics in Fond du Lac. Cory had uploaded his resume to Wisconsin Tech Connect, a statewide online employment tool for students and graduates of the Wisconsin Technical College System. It didn’t take long for Wells to find Cory’s resume, and he secured a job two months before graduation. When he graduated from Moraine Park in 2014, he was ready to work.

“I’m very fortunate to be at Wells,” Cory said. “I started working in product design and advanced to automation when I came back to Moraine Park in 2016.”

As a returning student, Cory understood the skills he needed to advance in his career, and that Moraine Park has the tools to help build them. This December he will graduate with his associate degree in electromechanical technology.

“I appreciate that Moraine Park teaches the skills that are needed to succeed in the field,” he said. “The classes are flexible, and they provide useful knowledge that prepares you for life after college.”

It’s clear that Cory sees the value in his education, and he has goals to continue in the future in both the Process Engineering Technology and Quality Assurance programs.

“Moraine Park helps to make the college journey an easy one,” he said. “I know that I will continue to have their support as I grow my career.”

Moraine Park Technical College Foundation will be able to award 15 students with one-time scholarships thanks to the success of The Ledge Games 2018, which raised $7,500.

This family-friendly competition, held in Eden, challenges participants in a series of lumberjack activities such as caber toss, hammer toss, archery, keg toss, speed chop, and ax throw. One hundred percent of event proceeds support The Ledge Games scholarship, established through the Moraine Park Foundation, which focuses on engineering, manufacturing, and technology programs at Moraine Park. The event is co-founded by Josh Michels, of Fond du Lac and Tyler Oestreich, of Eden.

“Both Josh and I are in the manufacturing industry, ” said Tyler Oestreich, co-founder of The Ledge Games. “We are proud to contribute the proceeds to Moraine Park. Our local economy greatly depends on manufacturing skill sets, and we see the value in educating and supporting the manufacturing workforce locally. Moraine Park’s students take the skill sets they learn to local manufacturing companies in Fond du Lac and the surrounding areas to continue to innovate and keep the local economy strong.”

Students enrolling in engineering, manufacturing or technology for the 2019-2020 school year are eligible to apply for this scholarship. To be considered for a Foundation scholarship, students must have a Moraine Park Technical College cumulative or high school GPA of 2.75 or higher and enroll in a minimum of six credits per semester. Application deadline is April 15 for high school seniors and May 26 for all other applicants.

To apply for The Ledge Games scholarship, or for more information on other Moraine Park scholarships, visit morainepark.edu/scholarships.

The 2019 Ledge Games are scheduled for Saturday, September 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on this event and how to help benefit this scholarship, visit theledgegames.com.

Jim Hokenson, CNC/Tool and Die instructor at the West Bend Campus, has been with Moraine Park for nearly 20-years and is an alumnus! He has worked hard to become established in the College and community, specifically with educating our youth on the manufacturing career options.

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You’re never too young to follow your dreams. For Zach Fahrenkrug, age 19 of Campbellsport, he knew in high school that CNC/Tool & Die would be his career.

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October’s Manufacturing Month has wrapped up for 2018, but not without some great efforts put forward by Moraine Park’s staff throughout the entire month.

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Moraine Park Technical College’s West Bend campus will host a Heavy Metal Tours event during October’s manufacturing month. This free event offers participants a behind-the-scenes opportunity to tour local manufacturing facilities and learn more about the skilled trades needed to fill current employment gaps.

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Meet Jeff Quackenboss, one of the mechanical design instructors at Moraine Park.

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