Moraine Park receives $1.2 million Blueprint for Prosperity grant

On Wednesday, July 23, I was excited to welcome Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and Department of Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson to our Fond du Lac Campus. Lt. Governor Kleefisch came to campus to announce Moraine Park’s $1.2 million Wisconsin Fast Forward: Blueprint for Prosperity grant to train up to 126 workers for in-demand fields.

Pictured from left: Denise Devereaux, Mercury Marine VP of human resources; JoAnn Hall, MPTC dean of economic and workforce development; Kristen Finnel, MPTC dean of health and human services; Fred Rice, MPTC dean of applied technology and trades; Sheila Ruhland, MPTC president; Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch; and Reggie Newson, secretary of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

This award is part of $28 million in grants that Governor Walker recently announced as part of his Blueprint for Prosperity initiative to help Wisconsin Technical College’s train over 4,900 workers for jobs that employers need to fill.

Our training gets workers into the workforce quickly, and keeps them in the workforce, ensuring we will continue to keep moving Wisconsin forward. The Blueprint for Prosperity grant will allow Moraine Park and its partners to continue to expand its training and education efforts. We look forward to training workers for the positions that employers need to fill.

For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1oiOFs3

October is Manufacturing Month

October is Manufacturing Month, and Moraine Park is wasting no time in celebrating this industry that is especially important to our local and State economies. On October 5, Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Reggie Newson visited the Fond du Lac campus in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day. During his visit, Newson spoke with Moraine Park students, instructors and leaders on how the collaboration between workforce development and Wisconsin’s technical colleges is integral to supporting manufacturing employers.   

To further recognize Manufacturing Month and better serve our students, six manufacturing companies are providing tours to MPTC staff throughout October.  Staff can choose to visit one of these companies: Signicast in Hartford; Apache Stainless Equipment in Beaver Dam; Gruber Tool and Die, Inc. in West Bend; or J.F. Ahern Company, Mercury Marine and Mid-States Aluminum in Fond du Lac. From the tours, staff will gain knowledge and awareness of careers in manufacturing and a better understanding of its importance to our District. 

In partnership with the Fond du Lac Association of Commerce, Moraine Park will be providing manufacturing awareness tours of our facilities to high school students in Fond du Lac County on October 23 and 24. Working with West Bend High Schools, Moraine Park has coordinated visits to West Bend area manufacturing companies on October 16. These tours will help our high school students gain a better understanding of what a career in manufacturing looks like.  

The average wage in manufacturing is approximately 20 percent higher than the state’s average weekly wage, and by participating in these manufacturing events throughout October, we hope to further promote the many opportunities a manufacturing career can provide. Are you currently enrolled in a manufacturing program or are you thinking about a career in manufacturing? I welcome your thoughts on manufacturing as a career pathway!