July 19, 2013 at 5:31 p.m.
Nicolet College provides customized training sesssions for area businesses, agencies
Nicolet College provides customized training sesssions for area businesses, agencies
In the Northwoods, for example, Nicolet Area Technical College continues to see growth in its University Transfer program where students are able to complete the first two years of a bachelor's degree at Nicolet then transfer the credits to a four-year institution.
Also well-publicized of late have been the ways Nicolet has expanded or modified its course offerings to meet workforce demands, such as the grant funding that was invested in development of the new two-year Industrial Mechanic Technician associate degree and expansion of the welding program.
Yet another resource that Nicolet College can provide - which is perhaps less publicized - is customized training courses for area businesses and agencies. Last year, using current full-time staff as well as adjunct instructors in various fields, Nicolet College fulfilled 169 different contracts. Since 2006, Nicolet has averaged 158 contracts per year.
"The big thing is it's customized for whatever they need," said Jason Goeldner, Nicolet's director of protective services who oversees the contracts that involve training for fire, EMS or law enforcement agencies as well as health and safety for industry.
"It's a really nice service we can provide to employers in our district," said Sandy Bishop, Nicolet's director of workforce development who covers all the contract training that falls outside the area of safety. "A lot of our inquiries are just they have a need. There's an issue they're struggling with or a skills gap they've identified and they're looking to Nicolet College to see how we can help. We try to uncover the underlying needs. Whether it's training or about their business process, people can contact us about any of these issues. We can help identify needs and if training is the response, we can customize it."
Recent Nicolet College contracts have included an emergency vehicle operations course for the Three Lakes Police Department, a basic life support refresher course for Northwoods Family Dental and a "train the trainer" course on powered industrial trucks for Charter NEX Films.
Goeldner said in the safety arena people need to get recertified regularly - whether it's on a piece of equipment or in a certain area of training - and businesses and agencies often look to Nicolet College to fulfill their needs. In an average year, Goeldner said the college will have training contracts with about 40 fire units and 40 EMS units in the area.
"Some train the same time every year. Others it depends if the training is necessary for that year or not," Goeldner said. "In the industrial safety area, if certain standards have changed that can spike numbers one way or the other."
Bishop said communication and leadership skills are a common request in the customized training areas she deals in.
"I think now with a number of people nearing retirement, companies are looking ahead and realizing they're going to be losing a huge pool of experience," Bishop said. "I think succession planning has to take into account the technical skills to do the job but also the ability to work with people and supervise. Companies are less hierarchical than they used to be. A lot of employees are expected to do the job and provide leadership. I would say communication is the No. 1 training need."
The Oneida County Department of Emergency Management recently contracted through Nicolet on two courses - training on the state's E-sponder software and one for emergency vehicle operations in order to get recertified on the department's larger vehicles.
Emergency Management Director Ken Kortenhof said his department utilizes Nicolet College's training resources for approximately seven to 10 courses a year.
"We try to do most of our hazmat training through Nicolet. We'll do seven hazmat-related courses this year," Kortenhof said. "It's really been a good working relationship. In the past we've done training jointly with other counties. Nicolet is very versatile in what they can provide us. They can customize it to address a specific tool or operation."
In 2012, Nicolet College achieved 180 percent cost recovery on its contracts, but Goeldner said the contracts are looked at more as providing a service than they are a significant revenue stream. The aim is to at least break even on each contract, so that tax dollars aren't subsidizing customized training courses for private businesses.
Goeldner said the 180 percent cost recovery figure is also misleading since it adheres to the Wisconsin Technical College System formula for cost recovery and doesn't factor in some expense items such as the time he and Bishop spend in the execution of the contracts.
"It's not a huge revenue source," Goeldner said. "If there are extra monies, it goes into the general fund. But for the most part, the revenue we receive helps replenish and replace items we use. It's filling supplies - hazmat suits, vehicle repair. Unfortunately, in my area, stuff isn't cheap."
"We're not generally generating extra revenue for the college's coffers," Bishop said. "Our goal is to break even on each contract. Our obligation is to at least break even. Sometimes we make the decision - like with our fire departments - to provide a low-cost training. That might not meet full cost recovery. We're here to provide a solid resource and an affordable resource - and not rely on local taxpayers to subsidize the training - but our mission is also to serve public safety. We're the only provider many of them have."
Bishop said businesses shouldn't let cost make them hesitant about seeking out Nicolet College's assistance for a tailor-made approach to whatever their needs may be.
"We really want to be able to bring all the resources we can to help companies and their employees improve," Bishop said. "Nicolet has access to grant funding for some of these programs. It's not guaranteed but I don't want businesses to be discouraged and not call us because they can't afford it. There might be other opportunities. We'd definitely do the research to see what's out there."
Kyle Rogers may be reached at [email protected].
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