How do you meet the workforce needs of Kewaunee County’s modern manufacturing industry? One way is to build your own. That was the conclusion of a local manufacturing survey, which also discovered that many young people were unaware of the employment opportunities in metalworking. One problem, however, was that manufacturing technology has increased rapidly in recent years, making it difficult for local high schools to become and remain on the cutting edge of relevant metal and machine tooling.
It is estimated that it would cost at least $100,000 for each high school to set up a state-of-the art machining lab. That does not include the costs of ongoing updating of today’s computer-based machine technology.
The answer: CNC Mobile Technology Lab, a 44-foot, fully equipped trailer that brings the classroom to area high schools in Kewaunee and Door Counties. The schools include Sturgeon Bay, Kewaunee, Southern Door, Algoma, Sevastopol, and Gibraltar. (CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, which automates the process of producing precision machined parts.) The lab will spend half a day each week at each school involved in the program.
“We can serve ten high schools a week,” explains Mark Weber, dean of trades and engineering technologies for Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. With 12 computer stations on board the mobile lab, “That comes to 120 students per semester.”
The $330,000 price tag for the lab and the pickup that tows it was funded by grants from Bay Area Workforce Development Board, NWTC, local school districts and potentially others. A trained lab aid will not only drive the pickup, but also assist students when needed. Plus, the teachers in each participating high school are being trained in the use of the equipment. Each high school will be assessed a fee of approximately $5,000 per semester.
The result will be training and work opportunities for new high school graduates, plus a supply of skilled workers for local manufacturers … a win-win situation for everyone in the county.
(By John R. Ingrisano)
