Connecting Students and Employers - Part II

Last month I was enthusiastic about sharing feedback with you related to visits I had with employers throughout the Moraine Park District. The insight and perspective I gained was invaluable; so much so, that I continued with more business meetings this month.   

KLH in Germantown and GenMet in Mequon, are two examples of area employers I had the pleasure to engage in recent dialogue with. Both of these businesses have representation on MPTC advisory committees and both seek to hire MPTC graduates. It is critical to understand that their input on program and curriculum changes is imperative in ensuring our graduates leave with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be employed by companies such as these.  From these meetings, it was increasingly clear to me that employers are seeking employees who are willing to: 1) learn, 2) problem-solve, 3) work in a team environment, and 4) achieve success/advancement through providing top-level performance.

If you are an MPTC student, these are good employee traits to be aware of. On December 1, MPTC, along with the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce, will be sharing the results of their 2011 Retirement and Retention Study. Results from this study will reveal trends for the future of workforce development in Fond du Lac. As employers review and analyze the study results, the importance of hiring and retaining qualified and skilled manufacturing workers will likely take on an even greater emphasis. For students, it is important to know that employers have the ability (and right) to be selective when hiring. They will review a candidate thoroughly and only decide to hire if they feel the candidate will be an asset to their company.

If you are a future graduate or alumni who has been applying for jobs or who has been recently hired, and has words of advice to share with others about the job search/hiring process, I encourage you to share them in the comment section of my blog.

Moraine Park students embrace community involvement

Moraine Park students are expanding their learning opportunities beyond the classroom by getting involved with the community. I was amazed to find that Moraine Park has almost 30 clubs and organizations for students to get involved in! The Culinary Arts Club is a perfect example, with their recent involvement in Fondue Fest, held Saturday, Sept. 10. Moraine Park culinary arts students and instructors prepared and dished out 120 pounds of cheese and 80 pounds of chocolate for downtown Fond du Lac’s annual Fondue Fest event.

Fondue Fest was an excellent opportunity for culinary arts students to interact with the downtown Fond du Lac community. Festival goers had a good time getting to know a few Moraine Park students and learning more about preparing (and eating!) fondue.  I thought it was great to see our students in action, applying what they are learning in the classroom to a larger community event. And I also enjoyed sampling the cheese and chocolate fondue, of course!

Culinary Arts students continue their involvement with the downtown Fond du Lac community by selling baked goods at the Farmers Market, held every Wednesday from 2-6 p.m. until October. They have been selling their culinary creations since early June, sharing their talents with the community.

Our Culinary students aren’t the only ones working with the community. On Sept. 27, the Beaver Dam campus will host a blood drive in conjunction with the Blood Center of Wisconsin. Moraine Park’s own Brianna Rhodes, Medical Assistant student and Dodge County’s Fairest of the Fair, will be there volunteering and giving blood. Appointments can be made online at www.bcw.edu/MPTCBD.