I hope you enjoyed the July 4th activities around the State, and still have plans to enjoy the outdoors as we enter the second half of summer. For those attending our certification courses and others that have recently passed their State certification exams, congratulations. Enjoy your successes. Thank you for the emails, as your success is why we offer these important courses.

We all have heard and talked about present and projected openings in the career field. Shortages of employees are being felt here and in other States. Many times’ we are in competition with other entities that need educated employees to fill varying positions, including operations staff. We look toward consistent staffing and hope to promote strong programs that enable successful succession planning.

Here at Moraine Park Technical College, we have been training students in water and wastewater for years. With ever changing updated curriculum, great input from our programs advisory committee, and related experiences in the field, our Water Quality Technology program remains a strong valuable tool for students and potential employers. For participants in the short water certification courses, their successes with related State exams, continues to promote those efforts as well.

If you or your utility, community or organization, are considering succession planning, then please look to Moraine Park Technical College to be a part of that effort. The wheel, so to speak, has been invented and it has been quite successful, so please look to a strong, proven education, as a part of your succession plans.

Courses for the Water Quality Technology program which leads to an accredited Associated Degree, start in August. Enrollment in the online courses are now underway. For more information, visit
www.morainepark.edu/programs/water+quality+technology/. Certification courses that prepare participants for the seven state water certification sub-grades, also start in late August. Registration is also open for those courses. View the schedule for the upcoming year here. Moraine Park credits are also transferable to 4-year schools, many of which offer online programs as well.

Finally, if you are in need of employees, please consider Moraine Park students and graduates, and consider using Wisconsin TechConnect as a posting site for each opportunity. Wisconsin TechConnect reaches out to all students throughout the Wisconsin Technical College System that are in programs related to the position offered. If you have an opening, always feel free to send it my way, and I will forward to students and graduates. I can also get you in touch with the MPTC Wisconsin TechConnect representative, who will assist you in your efforts.

Please consider our program and courses in your succession planning, as a strong education is truly the building blocks to entity and employee success.

When considering a career path, many look to the well-known careers that are out front and visual. Maybe this is because a relative, friend, or professional in the field that left a lasting impression. Regardless, when making career decisions we typically go through many processes, and sometimes we even change our paths mid-way.

Water quality technology is a career that is close to my heart. When I was in high school, I was unsure of what I wanted to do. As life unfolded, I found myself working in the field and it became apparent that I needed more education. So, enrolled in college as an adult learner. As time passed in my water quality technology career I found myself responsible for a wide variety of tasks and my education helped me to understand the many technologies and processes. I have been fortunate to have some positions in my career that have given me the opportunity to work locally, nationally, and even overseas. 

We often take for granted water running from our faucets, or in our streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Even more, we rarely think of the skilled tradespeople who are working in water plants, providing safe drinking water for our communities and the environment.

So, why not consider a job in water quality technology? This career is rewarding, sustainable, challenging, and interesting, as well as very important. The most identifiable position is in municipal work, but there are also commercial and private industry positions as well. This career offers many opportunities all over the world. 

So, the next time you take a drink of water from the faucet, take a shower or even flush a toilet, know that someone has made all that possible. Maybe in the future, that someone will be you!

For more information on Moraine Park programs, like water technology, visit morainepark.edu.

Today’s Blog is all about Water Quality Technology, and although the profession is not on everyone’s radar for career choice, maybe it should get a serious look.

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Have you heard of the water quality and management career opportunities?

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Today as July 2018 disappears into our rear view mirrors, and August approaches quickly, students and teachers around the nation prepare for the upcoming year.

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Life is busy. But there are affordable, convenient ways to start on a great career path!

One of those ways here at Moraine Park is our two-year Water Quality Technology Associate of Applied Science Degree program. This is an online program, so you can complete it in the comfort of your home, or where your computer takes you.
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I hope all of you have had a great summer! To all those passing their state water exams this last cycle, congratulations, it was great hearing from all of you that have taken recent courses.

Our courses are starting once again, and this is a great time to plan on either a continuing education course or a certification exam preparatory course.
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Summer is a time of high activity. Swimming. Fishing. Hiking. Biking. Running. The list goes on.  And on! With high activity, accompanied often times with high temperatures, we all know the importance of staying hydrated. So always make sure you have enough water. There are times, however, when taking or carrying enough water is not practicable. For example, when we are hiking or backpacking for lengthy periods of time, the weight of water would make trekking across miles of terrain a very difficult journey. Considering each gallon would weigh in at 8.34 pounds, your backpack would be quite heavy.

But there are options available to meet our need of having enough water.
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Hi, I’m Mark Schmidt, water quality instructor here at Moraine Park Technical College. Today marks the first day of a blog regarding water quality.

I have been asked by many people about the safety of consuming water, whether bottled or municipally supplied. Some questions have also come from people that have private wells. The questions certainly make me think as there seems to be some pretty interesting misinformation available.
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