Kelly Curran, Instructor, Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) shows us one of the two test books he authored.  Click on the (movie link) to see and hear how FVTC impacts the Fox Valley manufacturing community

Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton, WI boasts over 100 machine tools, 70 full and part time students and 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. class hours.

FVTC has six Mazak CNC machine tools — the number one choice of students and faculty because they are easy to use and the local area has a huge Mazak population.

Chad Diedrick, FVTC graduate and 15 year veteran with Fox Valley Tool & Die in Kaukauna, WI. Point and click (movie link) to see and hear Chad's enthusiastic FVTC testimonial.

I think one of the manufacturing secrets of Wisconsin is the strength and vitality of the Fox River Valley.  The Fox River Valley lies in a beautiful section of God’s country between Neenah and Green Bay.  It’s a manufacturing based community that has survived the early 80s rust belt, the savings and loan bust of the early 90s and the dot com/China challenge of the early 2000s.  Along the way it continually reinvented itself as many of their customers and products have moved off shore.  It has managed to stay committed to machining and manufacturing. How has this community been able to do this when so many have seen their manufacturing communities disappear? I recently paid a visit to the area to find out their secret for manufacturing survival.

Several recommendations pointed me in the direction of Kelly Curran, (movie link) Machine Tool Technology Instructor with Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) www.fvtc.edu.   As soon as I stepped through the school doors, I felt a strong manufacturing culture.  Through the windows along the hallways I saw electrical, plumbing, robotic and machining laboratories.  The main focus of my visit, however, was the machining lab.  Virtually every Fox Valley area machine shop has graduates of the FVTC.

Kelly explained that the school began soon after World War II, and has evolved to probably the most respected technical college in Wisconsin (there are a total of 17).  He boasted that every graduate has 11-12 jobs waiting for him or her with a starting wage of between $14-15.00 an hour.  Kelly went on to explain that FVTC maintains deep connections with all local industry.  There are a number of advisory committees comprised of former graduates and top management from local manufacturing businesses.

Kelly continued, “Our students spend most of their time on the shop floor and not in classrooms, and we emphasize strong work ethic.  Instructors are hired who can implement a high value work standard.”  As an example, Kelly explained, “If a student is habitually late or misses too many classes, the instructor will call him on it.  If a positive attitude is missing, the student may be asked to leave the program.  We clearly understand that our customers (local manufacturing businesses) want good workers.  Also, we cater to the unique learning styles of every individual.  We especially cater to hands-on learners.  Students progress at their own level through the program.”  The program is currently at capacity with 70 full and part time students.  “We open our doors at 6:00 a.m. and don’t close until 10:00 p.m.  Even during the last recession our program was full.  While there may not have been 11-12 jobs waiting for each graduate, there were still 3-4.”

I asked Kelly to explain how their college program and the typical university program.  “We have a relationship with both the student and with their future employer.  We know the students very well and we know what their future employers expect.  It’s very important to us that our students find employment  and are successful.  I think that at the university level there is very little connection to the student’s career.  There’s a lot of lecture and little hands on.  The instructors and teachers are primarily focused on getting them through the class, not making sure that they have good employment after they graduate.”

I asked Kelly for his biggest challenge.  He quickly responded, “Trying to change the perception of machining with councilors as well as parents.”  I asked him to explain.  “We continually work to bring the councilors to our school so they understand that machining is not a dirty, greasy, nasty environment.  Our customers (the local machine shops in the area) are high tech companies that compete globally everyday.  We want the councilors to know this so that they can include us as a solid recommendation for their students.”

Kelly’s machine shop has over 100 machine tools.  While most are conventional machine tools for learning machining basics, they have six Mazak CNC machines.  Kelly said, “The Mazaks are the favorite.  The students vote is that Mazaks are the best because they are nice, easy and productive.  There is a huge Mazak population in the Fox Valley area.

In conclusion, Kelly emphasized that manufacturing in the Fox Valley area has never been better.  He suggested that if I really wanted to understand the impact of FVTC on the Fox Valley community, I should talk to program graduates and their managers.  I thought that was a great suggestion… so that is what I did.