A catalyst for strengthening the community and providing career opportunities

花岗岩的加工和切割, 编程和维修设备, setting up tools for cutting and maintaining the same pieces of equipment are not standard job duties for a countertop installer, but those exact tasks were assigned to Paul Gustafson on his first day on the job.

 “第一天，我被调到一个制造工的职位. I didn’t necessarily have the skills or training so I learned on the job,” said Gustafson.

After 10 years with the company, Gustafson found himself out of work.  

新的职业选择

由于没有受过正规教育，古斯塔夫森转向了 明尼苏达劳动力中心 career development courses to help determine his next steps.

“I discovered along the way that CNC machining would be fitting for me. Jobs are readily available with reasonable pay, but I needed the training.”

这就是古斯塔夫森来到阿诺卡技术学院的原因. 他曾两次获得格拉科大学的奖学金 安诺卡技术学院基金会 帮助他接受教育.

But Graco and the foundation provided more than scholarships, they provided connections. Gustafson was introduced to individuals at Wilson Tool International and became a paid intern, 他在学校里担任了将近一年的职位.

制造合作伙伴

Graco and Wilson Tool International are just two of the roughly 80 companies in Anoka Tech’s manufacturer’s cohort of partners. The goal of this formal cohort is to be a catalyst for strengthening the community of manufacturing – accelerating a transformation into a more efficient and powerful engine of innovation, 创造就业和经济增长. 其他合作伙伴包括, Medtronic, 命令工具系统, Mate精密工具和Cretex公司.

“rms公司, 和Cretex, our parent company have been supportive of 安诺卡技术学院 for years,李·扎克曼说, 总裁 rms公司. “We recognize the need for more technical skills and we want to help the local tech schools. We feel the training students receive at Anoka Tech are beneficial to rms, 以及制造业的其他行业.”

These partnerships are beneficial to students like Gustafson and the manufacturing industry as a whole.

满足劳动力需求的设备和培训

在Anoka Tech的CNC加工电竞博彩公司排名期间, Gustafson developed a particular interest in a piece of state-of-the-art equipment: the 最近捐赠的松浦五轴轧机. 这325美元的收购,000 piece of equipment was made possible through a combination of state funding, county funding and fundraising donations from industry partners and generous individuals in the community.

^{Student Paul Gustafson, working on his capstone project using the Matsuura 5-Axis Mill.} 

马特•罗杰斯, Anoka Tech Machine Trades Instructor described this acquisition as “the equivalent to a Ferrari for the Automotive program.”

Gustafson spent more time working with it than most students, and used it to design and machine his capstone project to complete the program.

Having access to this type of equipment provides students with the ability to develop current technical skills meeting industry demands.

“It allows us to synchronize our program and students up with what is already on industry floors,罗杰斯说。.

rms公司, and many other partners in the cohort, use this same mill in their operations. “We find that students who are familiar with the technology shorten the time it takes us to train. While we welcome all students who have come through the machining program, it is always nice to have those who are familiar with the machining platforms we use,扎克曼说.

That’s part of the reason Cretex Companies has a machining development intern program partnership with Anoka-Tech similar to the internship Gustafson held with Wilson Tool International. 通过赞助, donations, 实习和学徒计划, Anoka Tech continues to partner with manufacturers in the cohort with workforce planning at the forefront. 

For example, interns with Cretex work part-time during the school year and full-time in the summer. They are paid for their time receiving hands-on training outside of the classroom. 还有工资, interns are eligible for tuition reimbursement as long as grades and attendance requirements are met. 一旦完成在安诺卡科技的课程, full-time opportunities for employment are often available.

通过训练获得收益

2018年秋季毕业后, Gustafson made the decision to continue his education and stayed at Anoka Tech to complete credits towards his Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree before entering the workforce.

With the passion he found of programming and machining with the Matsuura Mill, Gustafson hopes to have a career when he finishes working with the mill and possibly even teaching others. Thanks to the partnerships and opportunities available through Anoka Tech, 古斯塔夫森相信他的希望很快就会成为现实.  

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To learn more about Anoka Tech’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology programs visit undagroundarchivesv2.com/ProgramsCourses/EngManufTech.