nearly $5,000 toward the Gen Z Connection
program, which included a manufacturing
camp at St. Paul College and a closing
ceremony where the students gave
formal presentations about their learning
experiences before all partners and their
families.
At Du Fresne Manufacturing, in Vadnais
Heights, students learned about blueprint
reading, grinding techniques and short-
cut math formulas. At Mold Craft, in
Willernie, students learned about milling
electrodes, 3D CAD design and precision
measurement. At The Specialty Mfg.
Co., in White Bear Township, students
learned about wire electrical discharge
machining (wire EDM), production and
assembly. And, at SCHWING America, in
White Bear Township, students learned
about sandblasting, truck preparation and
inspection.
Steve Moeller, Director of Manufacturing
at The Specialty Mfg. Co., says, “The Baby
Boomers are retiring at 10,000 people per
day and many manufacturing companies
are ‘reshoring’ business from overseas
because we here – in the U.S. – are again
competitive. But businesses like mine and
my business partners’ have discovered they
cannot find people to fill the skilled jobs.
There are 600,000-plus technical jobs that
remain unfilled in the U.S. today, and this
is preventing companies from expanding.
By getting more parents, educators
and students interested, enrolled and
graduated with two-year technical degrees,
the more our manufacturing companies
can successfully grow.”
“We MUST make parents, educators
and students aware at a very early
age about skilled jobs such as
welding, machining, sheet metal,
stamping, plastic injection molding,
etc. Technical classes need to
be re-introduced into our high
schools to give students an earlier
opportunity to discover their life
interests. These skilled jobs pay a
livable wage and lead to promotions
into management or engineering. A
four-year college degree will cost a
minimum of $70,000, and a two-year
technical degree will cost $12,000 to
$15,000 and will pay a livable wage,”
says Steve Moeller,
Director of Manufacturing at
The Specialty Mfg. Co.
In November 2017, Moeller and his
partners -- Joy Vander Heiden of
SCHWING America; Jim Stephan of Du
Fresne Manufacturing; and Justin McPhee
of Mold Craft – were presented the
VHEDC Partnership Award at the Annual
Business Awards ceremony by Minnesota
Department of Labor and Industry Deputy
Commissioner Jessica Looman and White
Bear Lake Area Schools Superintendent
Wayne Kazmierczak. Looman said, “We are
so excited to be able to partner with all of
you to develop this kind of program. You
are setting an example for others statewide
who are trying to replicate this program.”
Jeremy Kerg, White Bear Lake Area
Schools Career Pathway Navigator for
Manufacturing and the new Construction
Pathway, says, “In a lot of ways, our
established Manufacturing Pathway
program is the recipe/the framework we’re
using for the other evolving pathways.
Three of our 2017 Gen Z students, seniors
this year, have been great spokesmen for
the program. Many students have already
signed up for 2018 Gen Z internships.
VHEDC’s Ling Becker and I are formalizing
plans for eight internships with eight
manufacturing firms. There was so much
great work that was done last summer!”
(2017 Gen Z intern Aaron Purdham is
currently enrolled at St. Paul College
studying electromechanical systems.)
When presenting the request for the
Gen Z Connection program funding to
the VHEDC Board of Directors in May
2017, VHEDC Executive Director Ling
Becker said, “I believe we have a great
opportunity to bring a lot of hard work past
the finish line. The Board is committed to
funding projects that benefit the economic
vitality of the community, and this entire
program is true to our values in that it is
collaborative, innovative and responsive to
the workforce needs we are hearing from
our businesses.”
And, upon receiving the EDAM Partnership
Award to VHEDC in January 2018, Becker
stated “We accept this award proudly
on behalf of our partners. Without them,
this project would not exist. This award
truly represents what it means to be a
community.”
Ryan Benert
Charlie Rupprecht
Aaron Purdham (right)
Karl Stein
vhedc.com
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