Cindy Collins, MPTC Leadership Development Instructor and Sue Roettger, EWD Leadership Instructor, joined us to talk about some of the challenges and trends they are seeing in the workplace that indicates leadership training is needed.

Jo Ann Hall, Dean of Economic & Workforce Development at MPTC, shares her experience with John Maxwell, the Maxwell Leadership Company and what you can expect when you attend this year’s 2022 Live2Lead event.  John Maxwell is a top leadership expert in the field, has written over 86 books and has over 40,000 certified speakers, trainers and coaches across the globe.  Moraine Park Technical College will be hosting the 2022 Live2Lead event on November 3. Expect to hear from multiple leadership experts who will help you gain a new perspective and have you leading with a renewed passion!

Karissa Schneider and Leslie Laster join us to highlight an innovative partnership between the Boys & Girls Club of FDL and MPTC. This partnership was recognized and awarded the 2021 Innovation Award for implementing a program to address diversity, equity and inclusion in the community.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has a number of programs that benefit area businesses and the overall business climate. WEDC Regional Economic Development Director Jon Bartz discusses how businesses can take advantage of programs that offer tax credits for business development and expansion, assistance with global trade initiatives, and opportunities to participate in and support promotion of skilled and technical jobs to K-12 students. Jon also talks about what WEDC is doing to help retain and attract talent in Wisconsin.

Moraine Park Technical College awarded its annual Business and Industry partnership awards, recognizing valued partners of 2021. The New Partner of the Year award is given to an organization that supports Moraine Park through contributions, sponsorships or involvement for the first time. The 2021 award recipient is Whisker formerly known as AutoPets. Whisker has been a strong new partner with MPTC as a Workforce Advancement Training grant partner to run multiple Supervision courses in 2021. They were a major sponsor at the Dodge County SHRM DEI conference, and employee and MPTC alumnus, Tyler Soto, is a great advocate and ambassador for the College.

What does “Boot Camp” mean to you?  At Moraine Park Technical College Boot Camp means a short-term training program in which people with little or no experience in manufacturing gain the skills they need in just three months. It is one of the ways Moraine Park is working to combat the skilled worker shortage with area employers.  Nate Glander, HR Business Partner at Wabash National, one of the employers involved in the Boot Camps and Elise Winkel, a Welding Boot Camp graduate share their experience with the Moraine Park Boot Camp programs.

Each year, the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) conducts research on the state of manufacturing in Northeast Wisconsin. The Manufacturing Vitality Index provides a snapshot of the health of manufacturing now and in the near future, as well as the challenges facing area manufacturers. Get details of the 2022 index and what the results mean for the region as a whole.

Learning for Independence (LFI) is an 18 to 21-year-old transition program that prepares students for their next stage in life as an employee or college student.  This two-year program brings students from a high school setting into the college setting and helps them gain confidence to prepare them for their next stage of life. Chris Schultz, Director of Student Services for North Fond du Lac school district and Jo Marchionda, Special Education Teacher share information on LFI and the partnership with MPTC.

Mary Davies, Associate Dean of EWD joined us to talk about Moraine Park’s training programs with the Department of Corrections. Davies encourages employers to look beyond the background check and consider some of these key things when considering an individual for employment. Giving these individuals a chance to use the skills earned while incarcerated helps set them up for success.

Megan Sawall, Program Coordinator at Forward Services Corporation talks about how she works with employers in all aspects of workforce development to include education and training programs.