Fox Valley Technical College | Focus Magazine | Fall 2016

Special Insert: Who’s Hiring Fox Valley Tech Grads?

focus

volume 9, issue 2 • Fall 2016

Fox Valley Technical College

MARKET READY

The business sector relies on FVTC graduates. Pages 8-9

your future

Inside: New partnership designed to get more students into automotive technology careers. Page 6 Career-changer looks to Information Technology programs. Page 12 Recent grad earns gold medal at national competition. Page 16

welcome!

Choosing a college can be difficult, but Fox Valley Tech was a great choice for me.

The instructors here are very skilled and personable, and the opportunities they provide are endless. The training is rigorous, thorough, hands-on and rewarding.

Wherever my career path takes me, the instructors at FVTC have trained me to a standard far beyond what is required, and I will leave here as a safe and successful pilot because of it.

Welcome to Fox Valley Tech!

Tanner Byholm, Aeronautics-Pilot Training Student

contents Focus is published bi-annually for the communities of Fox Valley Technical College.

features 8

10 12

Market Ready Marketing program grad Jennifer Hecht finds a rewarding career promoting the Fox Cities.

in every issue

12

2

Around FVTC A snapshot at what’s making news.

4

Focus on Workplace Training CMD Corporation turned to FVTC to grow in the global marketplace.

Problem-Solver Jake Reedy got a great job offer before he completed his Electro-Mechanical Technology degree at FVTC.

5

Turning to Technology When Carolyn Becker wanted to change careers and work with advanced technology, she looked to FVTC’s Information Technology programs.

Focus on the Entrepreneur A Truck Driving graduate invents a new product with the help of the Venture Center and Fab Lab.

7

Focus on High-Demand Careers Like one Oshkosh company has experienced, FVTC welding grads are in heavy demand.

what’s now 6

10

AYES at FVTC Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) and FVTC are working to get more students into automotive technology careers.

14

Focus on Alumni A sergeant with the Outagamie County Sheriff’s department is a graduate of both FVTC’s Criminal Justice Law Enforcement and Recruit Academy programs.

15

Focus on the Foundation The FVTC Foundation is helping make college possible.

16

Focus on the Student Experience A recent grad experienced a gold-medal performance at the national SkillsUSA competition.

Director of College Marketing Barb Dreger Executive Editor/Manager of Media Relations Chris Jossart Art Director Cara Jakubiec Contributing Editors Casey Britten, Susan Lucius Contributing Writers Joan Neumahr, Jessica Thiel, Amy Vander Stoep Photographers Gary Brilowski, Gary Gawinski, Adam Shea President Dr. Susan A. May Fox Valley Technical College

1825 N. Bluemound Dr. P.O. Box 2277 Appleton, WI 54912-2277 1-800-735-3882 TTY (hearing impaired) 920-735-2569 www.fvtc.edu jossart@fvtc.edu (email inquiries) Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission since 1974.

FVTC offers more than 200 associate degree, technical diploma and certificate programs, and instruction related to 15 apprenticeship trades, in addition to providing services to business and industry. The college serves about 45,000 people annually, more than any other technical college in Wisconsin.

© 2016 Fox Valley Technical College.

Fox Valley Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in employment, admissions or its programs or activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the College’s nondiscrimination policies: Patti Jorgensen, FVTC Appleton Campus, Office A104C, 920-735-5649.

around FVTC Home Sweet Home New student housing opens at Tech Village near FVTC’s Appleton campus.

Tech Village, an apartment-style living community, is providing new housing options for students at Fox Valley Technical College. “We believe this facility and its collaborative atmosphere will help our students succeed even more,” states Shannon Gerke Corrigan, manager of Co-Curricular and Student Engagement at FVTC. “It’s a great choice for our international students as well as local students who want a more traditional college experience.”

At Tech Village, students get state-of-the-art amenities such as high-speed internet, laundry rooms and a fitness center. “More importantly, we will have experienced staff to help meet residents’ needs,” says Gerke Corrigan. “Our goal is to build a strong connection for expanded learning through social events and services.”

Owned by General Capital, all the facilities at Tech Village are professionally managed to ensure resident safety and convenience. “The application process is online, and our approach is to carefully match roommates,” adds Gerke Corrigan.

“We’re building a real community at Tech Village.”

Located near the Appleton campus, Tech Village is within walking distance to FVTC’s main facilities. “Plus, there is a bus stop right in front,” Gerke Corrigan states. “Students can live here comfortably without the added expense of a car.”

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/Housing

2

www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

News Briefs • The latest Graduate Employment Research Report cites a record 59 academic programs with 100% graduate employment. The college-wide graduate employment rate jumped from 92% to 94%, and another noteworthy finding reveals an average fiveyear salary increase of 40%, or more than $46,000 a year for the graduates of 2010.

• Kari Austin, Nursing-Associate Degree instructor, was inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Hall of Fame.

The award acknowledges former athletic letter-winners, coaches or administrators Kari Austin who have demonstrated exceptional ability while attending UW-Eau Claire and have distinguished themselves in their profession. Austin has been a Nursing instructor at FVTC since 2009 and also serves as a Registered Nurse for ThedaCare.

• Agriculture students earned nine, top 10 awards and a firstplace team finish at the national Post-Secondary Agriculture Student (PAS) conference in Kansas City. A first-place team award went to students Alex Bacon, Hannah Vassar and Bill Jones in the Soil Science event. Student Kelvin Arnold teamed up with Northcentral Technical College to earn a second-place team finish in the Livestock Specialist category.

• Duane Rohm, a 1985 graduate of the college’s then-named Restaurant Hotel Cookery and Restaurant Management programs, earned the 2016 Outstanding Alumni of the Year award. Rohm currently serves as regional sales manager for Reinhardt Food Service and remains proactive in several projects related to the Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, and Food Service Production programs.

Duane Rohm

• Students from the Interior

Design and Kitchen & Bath Design programs took home awards at the 3rd Annual National Kitchen and Bath Association Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Student Design Competition in Madison.

Elisabeth Schaser (left) & Kayla Domaszek Kayla Domaszek earned top honors in the Kitchen Design competition, and Elisabeth Schaser took second place in the Bathroom Design category.

Public Safety Day Draws Big Crowd Visitors were lined up to enter the event an hour before it opened. The main parking lot was full in less than a half hour after it opened.

Those observations portrayed the opening scene at Fox Valley Technical College’s first-ever Public Safety Day on August 13 at its Public Safety Training Center. The 75-acre center is a high-tech, hands-on simulated facility that’s used to train police officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, the FBI, Department of Justice and more.

An estimated 3,000 people attended the event while touring several tactical areas, including River City, a realistic training village that includes a bank, a bar, homes and a motel. Visitors also saw a variety of training demonstrations pertaining to both water and high-rise rescues, vehicle fire response, the use of bomb robots, K-9 police dogs, SWAT team, and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF).

Kids got to wear real police and fire gear and experience an obstacle course, while everyone had the opportunity to meet area police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Check out fvtc.edu/PublicSafetyDay for information on the August 19, 2017 event.

News & Events For the latest FVTC news, visit our NewsCenter at

fvtc.edu/News.

focus fall 2016 3

focus

on workplace training

“

Our people now work better together and more efficiently because of Fox Valley Tech.

Steve Sakai, CMD Corporation

”

Industry’s Best

Steve Sakai (left) and Dean Murzello

A worldwide leader in plastics converting equipment turned to FVTC to grow in the global marketplace.

Headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, CMD Corporation wanted to help its employees better meet the needs of worldwide clientele.

“There is complexity managing our business for a variety of international markets due to differing rules, regulations and market needs,” says CMD President Stephen Sakai. “We knew we had to elevate the cultural awareness and communications capabilities of our entire workforce. To be successful, we also needed a higher level of collaboration and teamwork.”

CMD partnered with Fox Valley Technical College’s Business & Industry Services team to identify the skills, develop the curriculum and deliver the training needed to address its workforce objective. “The curriculum included soft skill development in team communications and conflict resolution as well as related technical skills,” adds Sakai. “The results so far have been great. Our people now work better together and more efficiently because of Fox Valley Tech.”

Dean Murzello, a trainer on FVTC’s Business & Industry Services team, has facilitated classes for all levels of CMD employees. “All the training was done around the clock, even from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. to accommodate different shifts.”

Today, CMD Corporation is a global manufacturing leader in more than 40 countries. In addition, the company earned a national award each of the past two years as a “Best Place to Work” from Plastics News magazine, the industry’s largest trade publication.

“Dean Murzello successfully tailored the training to fit our strategies and time constraints,” Sakai concludes.

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/BIS

BEST OF THE BEST Business and Industry Services at Fox Valley Technical College not only trains some of the best companies in the world like CMD Corporation, but it is also among the state’s best providers of customized workplace solutions. Here’s why: •About

21,600

employees from a variety of workplace

sectors trained during the 2015-16 year

•

2,000 +

employers served with customized training

plans during the 2015-16 year

4

www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

“

focus

on the entrepreneur

A Safe Backup

FVTC offers the best and most complete educational experience I’ve ever had.

”

Luke Haen

Luke Haen

A Truck Driving graduate invents a new product with the help of the Venture Center and Fab Lab. An idea came to Luke Haen while backing up a semi-trailer during his training as a truck driver at Fox Valley Technical College that could soon change the entire industry.

The 46-year-old Kaukauna resident felt there was a way to help truck drivers more effectively back up trailers into loading docks. “Backing up with mirrors is difficult because there is a nearly nine-foot blind spot,” Haen says. “There had to be a better way. So, I did some sketches and put together an initial prototype.”

The result was BAKKAB—a wireless highdefinition camera system that helps truck drivers more easily back their trailers into loading docks.

“Made by my company, the BAKKAB system sticks on with magnets and you see everything behind you,” says Haen. “By helping drivers avoid damages caused by backing up, BAKKAB could save the trucking industry billions of dollars.”

After graduating from FVTC’s Truck Driving program, Haen immediately earned a career driving long haul. He and his wife also continued working on BAKKAB by enrolling in the Venture Center’s E-seedTM program at FVTC for entrepreneur training. The Venture Center connected them to the college’s Fab Lab for help in product engineering and prototype development.

“Everyone at Fox Valley Tech has been terrific,” he says. “We’ve secured great funding and I now have a staff of eleven.

BAKKAB will be made entirely in Wisconsin, and we hope to begin production in the second quarter of 2017.”

Haen, who has two master’s degrees plus doctoral credits, says his FVTC experience has totally changed the way he looks at technical education. “When a career I had been pursuing didn’t materialize, I came to Fox Valley Tech because it has the best truck driving school in the United States,” he adds. “FVTC offers the best and most complete educational experience I’ve ever had.”

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/E-seed

E-SEEDTM IS EVERYWHERE The Fox Valley Technical College Venture Center’s successful E-seed entrepreneur training program is offered throughout the region. Attend one of these upcoming 13-week sessions: • February 6-May 1, 2017, Appleton campus, 1-4 p.m., Mondays • February 6-May 1, 2017, Appleton campus, 6-9 p.m., Mondays • March 7-May 30, 2017, Oshkosh Riverside campus, 6-9 p.m., Tuesdays • March 8-May 31, 2017, Waupaca Regional Center, 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays

focus fall 2016

5

What’s NOW

“

We worked with principals and counselors to make sure students receive both high school and college-level credits.

Todd Knorr, Instructor

”

AYES at FVTC Automotive Youth Education Systems (AYES) and FVTC are working to get more students into automotive technology careers.

100%

Through a partnership with Automotive Youth Education Systems, or AYES, Fox graduate employment for the Diesel Technology Valley Technical College is providing classes in basic automotive technology, programs at FVTC collision repair and diesel technology to area high school juniors and seniors.

“There is a critical shortage of skilled automotive technicians,” says Automotive Technology Instructor Todd Knorr. “Cars are more sophisticated today, and there is greater technology involved in repairing and maintaining them.” graduate employment for the Automotive The classes are held in FVTC’s state-of-the-art J. J. Keller Transportation Center, Technology programs at FVTC and graduates will receive certification as ASE Master Technicians. “These days, 2016 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report the cost of running an auto program is far too costly for many public high schools,” explains Knorr. “We worked with principals and counselors to make sure students The first-year partnering high schools include: receive both high school and college-level credits.”

Fox Valley Lutheran, Hilbert, Hortonville, Bergstrom Automotive is sponsoring tuition costs for the pilot class of 17 students from eight different school districts. Knorr states that in addition to providing high Kimberly, Omro, Stockbridge, school students with a head start on a career in automotive technology, many of the Weyauwega-Fremont and Winneconne. employers involved in AYES will continue to sponsor graduates through college-level programs. These employers include vehicle manufacturers such as GM, Toyota, Honda and BMW. AYES partners believe that when students come to FVTC, they will continue their studies toward an automotive career. “No matter what, they will have college credits that can be useful for many programs,” adds Knorr.

98%

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/Automotive

66

www.fvtc.edu Fox FoxValley ValleyTechnical TechnicalCollege College www.fvtc.edu

• • • View video: fvtc.edu/Auto16

focus

on high-demand careers

Heavy Metal Like one Oshkosh company has experienced, FVTC Welding grads are in heavy demand.

Muza Metal Products, a full-service metal fabrication and machining company in Oshkosh, is working with Fox Valley Technical College to fill a significant need for skilled welders. Muza leaders serve on the college’s program advisory committee, helping to ensure that graduates are well prepared for success.

“Our welders fabricate parts for a diversified customer with numerous end-user markets,” states Muza Account Manager Mike Selner. “I’ve worked closely with recent Fox Valley Tech grads and found that they produce the best solutions.”

Problem-solving is a key skill for professional welders.

“We want welders who not only have good hands-on technical skills and can use the latest technologies, but Muza also needs people to fit into our team culture,” states John Kriz, company president. “Our welders can advance in their specialty area or into potential leadership positions.”

“

I’ve worked closely with recent Fox Valley Tech grads and found that they produce the best solutions.

”

Mike Selner, Muza Metal Products

Muza Metal Products is also working with FVTC to proactively promote welding careers in the K-12 education system. “We want to showcase what our industry offers,” states Kriz. “Our 190,000-square-foot facility is bright, clean, high-tech and safe.”

Welding can be a lifelong career or a stepping stone to other paths. “We recently had someone start with us as a welder, advance to being a team leader and then return to school to become a certified weld inspector,” says Selner.

• • • Learn more:

fvtc.edu/MetalMachiningFabricationWelding

94%

graduate employment for FVTC’s Welding programs and

20

full-time welding and metal fabrication opportunities posted per month in our region 2016 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report and Wisconsin TechConnect

focus 2016 focus fallfall 2016 7 7

“

At the Tech, you get individual attention and all the classes are relevant to the real world.

- Jennifer Hecht

�

Market Ready

Marketing program grad Jennifer Hecht finds a rewarding career promoting the Fox Cities.

8

www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

Jennifer Hecht

MARKETING POSSIBILITIES Marketing professionals play a vital role in the region’s commerce and are in demand. Here is a snapshot of what some recent FVTC Marketing grads are doing: Department Manager New Business Coordinator On-Air Talent Operations Analyst

Marketing Assistant Sales & Production Leader Business Development Leader Programs Director

18 full-time marketing opportunities posted per month in our region Wisconsin TechConnect

As Convention Services Coordinator for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, 27-year-old Jennifer Hecht is in charge of managing, organizing and supporting area events and tourism. “I love to market the Fox Cities because we have so much to offer convention and meeting groups in the way of unique dining, shopping and entertainment,” she explains.

Hecht, a Neenah native, first attended a traditional four-year college but soon felt she was just another face in the crowd.

She had the opposite experience at FVTC. “At the Tech, you get individual attention and all the classes are relevant to the real world,” she states.

The hands-on training and personal instruction set a foundation for Hecht’s future success, but one class assignment in particular was critical to launching her career. “I worked on a research project to gauge customer satisfaction for a local contractor,” she says. “We did the research, analyzed the data and presented a report on where the company was doing well and the areas that needed improvement.” This experience helped the marketing graduate land her first marketing job after graduation with a similar contractor.

After that experience, Hecht advanced her career to work at the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Within six months at the Bureau I was promoted to group sales manager in charge of promoting the area to several different markets,” she adds. “Since then, I’ve been in charge of email marketing, prospecting for clients and servicing events. We help local businesses provide the best possible experience for our visitors.”

Today, Hecht is juggling work with raising a young family.

She highly recommends FVTC as an essential first step toward a great career.

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/Marketing

• • • View video: fvtc.edu/Marketing16 Jennifer Hecht

focus fall 2016

9

ProblemSolver

Jake Reedy got a great job offer before he completed his Electro-Mechanical Technology degree at FVTC.

Jake Reedy, a 21-year-old Waupaca native, attended his first job fair at Fox Valley Technical College in fall of 2015 on advice from his instructor. There he discovered that Great Northern Corporation, a diversified manufacturing company headquartered in Appleton, had an opening for an electro-mechanical maintenance technician.

“At the job fair I talked to a recruiter, set up an interview, and was offered the job before Christmas,” Reedy says.

“The company let me complete my degree, and I started work the week after I graduated.”

Reedy’s position allows him to enjoy new challenges and learning opportunities on a daily basis. “Fox Valley Tech gave me the knowledge in both mechanical and electrical concepts to succeed,” he says. “I can take care of almost anything that goes wrong around the company from a maintenance standpoint.”

10

www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

Reedy attended FVTC for three years earning degrees in both Automated Manufacturing Systems Technology and Electro-Mechanical Technology. “All the instructors are great,” he says. “Plus, I could pace myself and take more time with the harder classes.”

The hands-on problem-solving aspect of the curriculum was something Reedy liked about his FVTC experience.

“When I talked to my high school counselors about both programs, I saw how many graduates were getting good jobs,” he says. “The best part of what I do each day is knowing that I help keep things moving. It’s nice to be the person who others call on to solve problems.”

• • • Learn more: www.fvtc.edu/ManufacturingAutomation

97%

graduate employment for FVTC’s Automated Manufacturing Systems Technology program the past three years FVTC Graduate Employment Research Reports, 2014, 2015, and 2016

94%

graduate employment for FVTC’s Electro-Mechanical Technology program the past three years FVTC Graduate Employment Research Reports, 2014, 2015, and 2016

“

Jake Reedy

I can take care of almost anything that goes wrong around the company from a maintenance standpoint.

- Jake Reedy

”

focus fall 2016

11

Carolyn Becker

Turning to Technology 12

www.fvtc.edu Fox Fox Valley Valley Technical Technical College College

When Carolyn Becker wanted to change careers and work with advanced technology, she looked to FVTC’s Information Technology programs.

“

Carolyn Becker was a successful yet unsatisfied finance professional. “I was not passionate about what I was doing,” says the 29-year-old Middleton, Wisconsin native. “I did enjoy, however, learning about technology and new software. Information technology (IT) seemed like a more exciting career field for me, one where there would always be something new to learn.”

The decision to return to school was hard for Becker. She worried about cost and the time it would take to earn a new degree. “Fox Valley Technical College made going to college an easy and affordable decision,” she says. “I will graduate with a double major in Software Development and Web Development & Design in under two years.”

Becker feels that FVTC has prepared her with the right skills to succeed in the IT field. “I was part of a class project that created a fully-functional website that used a simple algorithm to bring people together based on what type of games they liked to play,” she says. “Our team took the project from idea stage to launch thanks to everything we learned in these programs.”

Fox Valley Technical College made going to college an easy and affordable decision.

- Carolyn Becker

”

In addition, Becker’s internship at the Experimental Aircraft Association continues to give her real-world job experience. “I do a lot of things that a web developer does on a regular basis like changing the look of a page or making a site more mobile-friendly,” she adds.

Becker is also part of BizSquad, a grant-funded FVTC class that helps students get hands-on experience while helping community organizations with various projects. “Everyone at Fox Valley Tech focuses on making sure you have the abilities needed to succeed,” she says.

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/IT

• • • View video: fvtc.edu/InformationTechnology16

28

full-time IT career opportunities posted per month in our region Wisconsin TechConnect

$40,000+

average annual salary for software

developers who graduated from FVTC in 2015

$51,300+

average annual salary for web

designers who graduated from FVTC after being in the workforce for five years 2016 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

vel ft) and Adam Ha Aaron Nass (le

focus fall 2016

13

focus

on alumni

Q&A : Sgt. Wang Lee

The 37-year-old sergeant with the Outagamie County Sheriff’s department is a graduate of both Fox Valley Technical College’s Criminal Justice Law Enforcement and Recruit Academy programs.

Sgt. Wang Lee

What first brought you to FVTC?

Why are your skills so valued in the workplace today?

My parents were immigrants from the Southeast Asia peninsula and displaced war refugees with very limited education. I am the oldest of eight kids, and we could have been the poster children of poverty. I was up against the odds with the great responsibility of parenting my parents and siblings with no direction or knowledge. I was expected to be a teacher before becoming a student.

Training at FVTC was crucial in my personal and professional growth in areas like social skills, problem solving, decision making and technical skills. These skills continue to be valued 15 years after graduating and serving for the Sheriff’s department.

From those experiences I realized an education would shape my future. That led me to Fox Valley Tech in 2000 where its then-named Multicultural Center helped me hesitantly get through the main doors on campus to discover my career path.

“

FVTC equipped me with the knowledge to make key decisions wherever I go and under any circumstance.

”

Sgt. Wang Lee

What did you enjoy most about your training at FVTC? The instructors and staff at Fox Valley Tech always made me feel welcome. They encouraged me to excel as part of a very current and rigorous curriculum. I still train at FVTC to keep my skills sharp at its newer, high-tech Public Safety Training Center.

14

www.fvtc.edu Fox Valley Technical College

Situations will arise in law enforcement where split-second decisions must be made. FVTC equipped me with the knowledge to make key decisions wherever I go and under any circumstance.

What made your FVTC education special?

Failure is not an option at Fox Valley Tech. Toward the sunset of my career I want to help someone muster up the strength to walk through FVTC’s main doors with nothing and walk out with endless possibilities.

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/PublicSafety

NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING ALUMNI Fox Valley Technical College is seeking nominations for its 2017 Outstanding Alumni Award. Each year, this distinguished honor is presented to a deserving alumnus who has completed an FVTC associate degree, technical diploma or apprenticeship program.

FVTC will honor the award recipient in April 2017.

focus

on the foundation

Promising Futures The FVTC Foundation is helping make college possible.

For those who have never considered college because of cost, the Fox Valley Technical College Foundation is promising to deliver on an unprecedented initiative in the region: free tuition for qualified low-income high school graduates through the FVTC Promise.

“There are nearly 10,000 well-paid job openings for skilled workers in the Fox Valley area,” says Mary Downs, executive director of the FVTC Foundation & Community Relations. “The Promise is designed to help area residents gain necessary skills to fill these positions. In return, it will help boost our local economy and provide a higher quality of life.”

The FVTC Promise will cover tuition, books, schoolrelated fees and provide individualized academic support. “We want to do more than just enroll students,” Downs states. “We want to help them succeed in getting their associate degree or technical diploma and by earning a rewarding career.”

“

The FVTC Promise will help boost our local economy and provide a higher quality of life.

”

Mary Downs FVTC Foundation

Thanks to a great start at fundraising through a combination of corporate, philanthropic and individual donors, the Foundation hopes to have 3,000 students enrolled and on their way to a better future within five years.

Promise scholars must meet certain financial criteria during the application process and sustain other requirements once enrolled at FVTC, including GPA expectations and volunteer service, among others.

• • • Learn more: fvtc.edu/FVTCpromise

FINANCING HOPE Learn how you can support the FVTC Promise: fvtc.edu/FVTCpromise

10,000

job postings in the region for skilled professionals Wisconsin TechConnect

Help

3,000

high school students train for a better life while filling the needs of our regional employers

focus fall 2016

15

focus

on the student experience

As Good as Gold

“

I knew this was the right career path for me as soon as I entered the doors at Fox Valley Tech.

”

Cody Leahy

Recent FVTC grad Cody Leahy’s experience included a gold-medal performance at the national SkillsUSA competition.

Representing Fox Valley Technical College, Cody Leahy outperformed participants from 13 other schools at the 53rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference this past summer in Louisville, Kentucky.

Cody Leahy

“It was a blast!” states Leahy, a 22-year-old Markesan native and double-major graduate of FVTC’s Electrical Engineering Technology and Electronic Engineering Technology programs.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of educators and industry leaders. The organization’s yearly local, state and national competitions are a showcase for career and technical education students. “I had to pass two written certification tests and accurately complete three hands-on technical projects, including soldering and assembling two circuits,” says Leahy.

More than 16,000 people attended the weeklong event, which also included industry speakers and a job fair. “I didn’t know that I’d won first place in the electronics technology competition until it was announced at the closing ceremony,” says Leahy. “I received a gold medal plus a lot of gifts like an oscilloscope and tool sets.”

Leahy, who is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Milwaukee School of Engineering as a junior, chose FVTC because of its Engineering degree programs. “I knew this was the right career path for me as soon as I entered the doors at Fox Valley Tech,” he says. “Plus, I saved a lot of money.”

100%

graduate employment for FVTC’s Electrical Engineering Technology and Electronic Engineering Technology programs 2016 FVTC Graduate Employment Research Report

Bringing Home the Medals Cody Leahy, Markesan Gold medal in Electronics Technology with the highest point total ever achieved in the history of this competition Donaven Phillips, Appleton Silver medal in Power Equipment Technology Corey Meyer, Fond du Lac Bronze medal in Motorcycle Service Technology

16 16

www.fvtc.edu www.fvtc.edu Fox Fox Valley Valley Technical Technical College College

Parent Perspective FVTC because it is close to home “ Wande chose has world-renowned Criminal Justice

and Law Enforcement Academy programs.

They will provide the skills required for Brooke to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. We didn’t need to look anywhere else.

”

Paula Mathes

Parent of FVTC Student RN, Employee Health Specialist/Human Resources Aurora Medical Center, Oshkosh

Paula & Brooke Mathes

focus fall 2016

17

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 700 MILWAUKEE, WI

High School Students

Take college classes for free and pay less for your college degree!

Dual Credit

By taking approved classes at your high school, you can earn credits that will not only apply toward graduation, they’ll also transfer to Fox Valley Tech. It’s called Dual Credit and chances are pretty good that it’s available at your high school.

FVTC Tuition Cost Savings

$1,600

3,739

$1,400 $1,200 $1,000

area high school students registered for FVTC dual credit courses in the 15-16 school year, saving them a total of

$800 $600

$1,287,986

$400 $200

in tuition.

1

2

3

4 5 6 7 8 Dual Credits Earned

9 10

$34,000/year*

Small Cost • Big Career

When you consider the graduate employment rate of 94%, the 200+ hands-on, high-tech program options, and the overall affordability, Fox Valley Tech can help you get the career you’ve dreamed about.

$8,150/year* $3,550/year*

Private college or university

4-year public university

FVTC

*Annual tuition is based on averages of 2 semesters with 12 credits each.

This is tuition only – books, supplies, etc. not included.

50 Win a $ ! rd cash ca

rvey by eader su r t r o h in. s te a nce to w a h c Comple a r o 2016 f urvey Dec. 31, /FocusS

fvtc.edu

Learn more!

Visit fvtc.edu/PayingForCollege or talk to your school counselor.

Appleton • Chilton • Clintonville • Oshkosh • Waupaca • Wautoma