Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/145038
Expanding partnerships B y M a r y B e t h M a t z e k J ohn Miller, president and CEO of Miller-St. Nazianz, Inc., an agricultural equipment manufacturer, knows what a struggle it can be to find employees with the right set of skills. "We've hired a lot of new people in the past year – about 50 – and we're looking for people to have a certain set of skills when they come in," he says. Miller isn't alone. With demand running high for students trained in CNC machining, welding and industrial maintenance, Lakeshore Technical College broke ground last month on a $6.1 million expansion project. The project provides enough capacity for the college to double enrollment within its most in-demand programs. c o u r t e s y LTC Local companies invest in LTC expansion project – and their futures This artist's rendering shows the more spacious welding booths that will be constructed as a part of LTC's $6.1 million capital expansion project. The project is being financed partially through the private donations of area companies, which know they will benefit by having a larger pool of talented workers to choose from. "The demand out there for employees trained in these areas is huge and to meet the demand, this was something we felt we needed to do," says LTC President Michael Lanser. Normally, when technical colleges announce expansions, they hold a referendum to secure public funding (such as Fox Valley Technical College did in April 2012) but LTC went another route. LTC, which celebrated its 100th continued > w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m July 2013 • / insight on manufacturing | 19