Brian Miriani recently worked with East Central College’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) to complete an apprenticeship program tailored to fit his skills and the needs of his employer.
CWD partnered with Miriani’s employer, Texwrap Packaging, Washington, to develop a Machinist Registered apprenticeship program through the U.S Department of Labor in 2017.
Miriani completed the program in July and received his certification this month.
According to Melissa Richards, CWD apprenticeship and business training program coordinator, Miriani continued to work with Texwrap, which manufactures shrink wrapping systems, while he took apprenticeship classes.
“Brian attended classes, usually after work, to complete the Precision Machining Certificate of Specialization,” she said. “He was able to earn while he learned, and work through the program at his own pace to balance work, life and education.”
Richards added that through the apprenticeship program, Miriani received progression wage increases while receiving the technical training at ECC.
There were many people who worked with Miriani to help him achieve the Machinist Registered certification, including Richards; Curtis Elliott, primary precision machining instructor; John Rucker, shop math for manufacturing instructor; Dr. Edward Shelton, executive director of workforce development; and Cindy Brinker, grant and program administrator.
“It truly took a team to help him complete one of these programs,” Richards said
To learn more about the ECC CWD apprenticeship programs visit www.eastcentral.edu/cwd/.
A new agreement between East Central College and Drury University is streamlining the path to a four-year degree for business and education students.
The articulation agreement was signed Tuesday during a ceremony at the ECC Rolla North site.
The formal partnership guarantees that the credits for ECC students who have completed an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree or an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in Business will transfer seamlessly to Drury University.
Robyn Walter, ECC vice president of academic affairs, said this agreement between the schools will help students navigate the pitfalls to ensure an easier, more successful transition.
“An articulation agreement such as ours is designed to create an uninterrupted transfer experience for students moving from community college to four-year institutions,” she said. “In particular our Teacher Education and Business students now have this invaluable resource for transfer with our partner, Drury University.”
According to Dr. Regina Waters, Drury associate provost for adult, online and graduate programs, the primary focus of the agreement is the needs of students.
“This partnership provides business and education students with a seamless transition to Drury University for degree completion,” she added. “We are so pleased that East Central College shares our commitment to putting students’ needs first.”
The agreement states that once the ECC students meet Drury admission standards, they will be enrolled as juniors at the university.
Walter noted that this partnership leads the way for additional agreements between the institutions.
“This is just the beginning — the efforts thus far lays a solid groundwork for future programmatic specific agreements,” she said. “We look forward to enhancing this relationship and, in turn, enhancing the success of our students and community.”
Walter said ECC faculty and staff members Greg Stotler, ECC education instructor, Dr. Richard Hudanick; ECC dean of career and technical education; and Lisa Hanneken, accounting instructor were instrumental in moving the articulation agreement forward.
“We appreciate the faculty and staff involvement for making this work,” she said. “They worked with Drury faculty and staff to develop a seamless transition for our students.”
Attending from ECC were Christina Ayers, ECC Rolla director; and Dr. Reginald Brigham, mathematics instructor and department chair; Jenni Crosby, ECC Rolla assistant director; Hudanick and Stotler.
Drury Representatives at the ceremony were Kerstin Ellis, director of Drury GO Rolla; Dr. Leasa Richards-Mealy, business instructor; and Kimbrea Browning, executive vice president of enrollment management and operations.
To learn more about ECC’s degree programs, visit EastCentral.edu. Visit Drury.edu to learn about Drury University’s programs and degree options.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson toured Klauber Machine & Gear (KMG) Tuesday to highlight the Missouri One Start program.
KMG utilized the customized training assistance which has helped to develop its workforce, and East Central College has been there every step of the way.
Gov. Parson said the state made workforce development a priority two years ago, and Missouri is seeing the dividends from that commitment at industries like Klauber.
“I am so thankful we made that (workforce development) decision,” he said. “That gives us the tools we need to keep moving forward.”
For over two years, ECC’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) has been in Kluaber’s conference rooms and on the plant floor helping the manufacturer build a strong and knowledgeable workforce.
“ECC is committed to workforce development in our community,” said ECC President Dr. Jon Bauer. “The economic growth of our local manufacturers is strengthened by a skilled and well-trained workforce.
“East Central faculty and staff work closely together to provide this training, and to ensure we are producing graduates to fill the demand in the field,” he added.
KMG is an international industrial equipment supplier that specializes in the design and manufacturing of fractional horsepower gear motors.
“We are proud to have a company like Klauber operating in our state and providing quality jobs to our citizens,” Gov. Parson added.
He noted that KMG is committed to retaining 460 jobs, which supports the local economy and many Missouri families.
ECC has partnered with Klauber since 2018 through a training and development relationship.
Through that relationship, ECC has utilized $58,000 in customized training funds from the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) One Start program, according to Dr. Ed Shelton, Executive Director of Workforce Development at ECC.
“We coordinated with Klauber to meet their need for competence machine and tool operators,” Dr. Shelton explained. “ECC built a competency skill development program that provides skill training, safety programs and training, and frontline leadership workshops to provide a vertically integrated program.”
KMG employees enrolled in an apprenticeship program at ECC and $5,000 of the state funds were applied toward their tuition and books.
Training
Dr. Shelton said ECC has taken an unique approach to this training partnership by developing a mentor/instruction method.
Under this method, Curtis Elliot, program coordinator of ECC’s Precision Machining Technology, worked with KMG employees on the production line twice a week and gave an assessment of the operator’s skills.
“This unique brand of training helped Klauber to reach higher efficiencies and productivity levels than ever before in Klauber production history,” Dr. Shelton commented. “The frontline leadership training has led to these competent operators remaining at Klauber due to a worker-friendly environment by supervisors who understand the importance of motivation and worker satisfaction.”
KMG also works with The Quality Coach, which provides leadership and managerial training to the manufacturer. Jeanne Gladden, co-founder of the training firm, also attended the tour at the Klauber plant.
One Start Grants
Missouri One Start grants range from $5,000 to $50,000 this year.
Training provided by the ECC CWD ranges from leadership development, safety training, introductory welding programs, project management to LEAN and Six Sigma training.
Each company matches 100 percent of the state funding. Learn more about the program by contacting the CWD team at training@eastcentral.edu, or visit missourionestart.com/.
To learn more about CWD industry training and consulting visit www.eastcentral.edu/cwd/.
Matthew Soete has always been an educator, and now the 53-year-old’s second time around at East Central College is taking him toward a more traditional classroom.
Soete, of the Washington area, first attended ECC in 1984, fresh out of high school, as a biology major. He left to pursue additional education opportunities and then began a career in outdoor leadership education.
Now, 35 years later, he is back at ECC where he plans to finish his coursework on a path toward a new career.
Soete came back to ECC in the Spring 2019. He is set to graduate after this fall semester with an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree. Then he plans to transfer to Central Methodist University or Missouri Baptist University to pursue a degree to teach middle school science or social studies.
“I have always had an affinity for the natural world,” Soete said. “I think I have always had an affinity for teaching.”
In 1984, Soete was taking every science class he could take. But he remembers his other general education courses, including English composition with Dr. Bob Mahon, who is still teaching at the college.
“I still remember stuff that he taught,” Soete said. “It has really stuck with me.”
Soete left ECC in 1985 to pursue his passion for the sciences. He enrolled in a “Semester in the Rockies” through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Wyoming.
“I knew that I wanted an education outside the traditional classroom,” Soete said. “It was true adventure-based learning.”
NOLS is a nonprofit global wilderness school that helps students become leaders.
Soete completed the NOLS course in 1985 earning 20 credit hours from the University of Utah through the “Semester in the Rockies” program — he also found an opportunity to build a career in outdoor education.
For 15 years, Soete worked in outdoor leadership education to teach school-aged children in the Metro St. Louis area. The students would canoe, climb, hike and participate in other leadership-building activities.
He later returned to NOLS for an instructor course that he completed in 1991.
Soete also worked with public school leaders through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) “Leadership Academy,” teaching administrators and other school officials leadership through outdoor education.
According to Soete, there was a shift in education philosophies and school became more focused on test scores that outdoor education. As fewer organizations and districts opted for experimental education, and larger companies used the training less often, he realized that it was no longer a viable career.
In 1996, Soete married and became a stay-at-home dad for three children, but he would do the occasional corporate team-building job.
Once his children were all in grade school, Soete began another career — arbor care. Soete’s high-angle and rope training during his outdoor education career was essential when sawing limbs from trees, or cutting down a tall tree.
Soete worked in the arbor business for five years and was beginning the two-year process to train as an arborist. However, the arborist he had been working for closed his business, which helped steer Soete into returning to school.
Soete spoke with Paul Lampe, ECC’s Vice President of Student Development, who advocated him to get back in the classroom at the college.
It was with Lampe’s assistance that Soete learned he could, “Pick up where he left off,” at ECC 35 years ago.
This time around, ECC is a family affair for Soete, whose son, Ethan, is also taking classes on campus.
“We mostly have different schedules, but I do see his friends from high school,” he added.
Ethan, who is studying engineering, is on a different path than his dad and plans to attend Missouri S&T when he leaves ECC.
According to Soete, ECC provided the best opportunity to continue his education because of the assistance he has had from advisors and because it is close to home.
“There is a lot of value in getting counsel early on,” he said. “And from an economic standpoint, it is great for any student to continue to live at home and take college courses.”
Ultimately, Soete would like to teach middle school-aged students, but more importantly, he wants to share his passion of science with students.
“I’d be happy to teach fourth grade,” he said. “Whatever I am qualified to do, because frankly, I don’t have that many years left to teach.”
Soete may not have been teaching inside a classroom for the past 25 years, but he has already been a teacher much of his life. And he is certain he wants to continue on that path.
“I have worked in a number of different areas and I don’t regret any of them,” Soete said. “It’s what I want to — I don’t have any doubts.”
The East Central College Medical Assisting Program is one of the top 3 programs in the St. Louis area.
That’s according to Medical Assistant Advice, a website that serves medical assistant students and professionals, which published its ranking during National Medical Assistant Week, Oct. 18-23.
Nancy Mitchell, Director of Nursing and Dean of Health Science, said she and her department are thrilled for this Medical Assistant (MDA) program recognition.
“ECC has a rich history in partnering with our local healthcare entities to provide outstanding graduates in the field of Medical Assisting,” she said.
Medical Assistant Advice examined graduation rates, tuition costs, retention rates and number of students enrolled in the program to help determine the rankings. Another factor was MedicalAssistantAdvice.com editorial staff ratings.
According to Mitchell, there was a need for medical assistants in the communities served by ECC, so the college began offering courses leading to degrees.
“In the fall of 2013, ECC began offering a certificate or degree option for Medical Assisting to help fulfill that need in our community,” she added. “Over the last several years, our graduates have gone on to have successful careers in and around our service region.”
The MDA program is designed to train students to meet the needs of an ever-expanding allied health field. The Union campus and Rolla site offer a complete associate degree and a certificate option.
The main campus offers a traditional day program and the Rolla site offers an evening option to meet the needs of all students.
Medical Assistants directly influence public health through tasks include bookkeeping, coordinating appointments, patient interaction, coding paper and electronic health files. Medical Assistants may also take patient vital signs and help with injections, examinations and lab test preparations under a doctor’s supervision.
The success of the program was highlighted earlier this year when there was a 100 percent pass rate for the first-time test takers who began in the MDA program at ECC in 2019. On average ECC students scored 552 compared to the national average was 477.
“Their success is due in part to the excellent educational curriculum delivered by seasoned Medical Assistant educators, along with their dedication to be exceptional healthcare providers,” Mitchell said.
“Medical Assistants play a vital role in the healthcare team to directly influence the public health and well-being of our communities.”
To learn more about the MDA program, visit www.eastcentral.edu/allied-health/, or contact Mitchell at Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu.
Join the East Central College Theatre Department on campus next week for a chilling theatrical experience featuring storytelling and surprises.
Tales from the Shadows is a unique outdoor event that includes a journey around campus led by a “Ghoul Guide.” Tickets are on sale now for the Halloween-themed performance scheduled for Oct. 28-30.
According to ECC Theatre Director Grace Austin, plans for Tales from the Shadows spawned from the desire for an interactive event on campus.
“It came out of an idea for people to see more of the campus while at the same time being able to participate in an immersive event, which is new to the department,” she said.
There will be walking tours of up to 10 people that will depart every 15 minutes beginning at 6:30 p.m. each night. The tours are designed for social distancing and face masks will be required.
To purchase tickets visit www.ecctheatre.com or call the ECC Box Office at 636-584-6693. This activity is recommended for ages 13 and up.
During the event, tour guides will lead guests around campus to several stops where they will encounter strange mysteries, scary creatures, and a few surprises along the way.
Each tour lasts approximately 70 minutes, and it will include students as actors and guides.
Austin noted that she and colleagues Bess Moynihan and Sylvia Sellers, developed the Tales from the Shadows concept while discussing options for a Halloween production.
Bess, Sylvia, and I were tossing around some ideas for Halloween and we came up with a concept of hiring some master storytellers from St. Louis to work with the students to create a walking tour,” Austin added.
On hand for the “Tales from the Shadows” will be Hazel’s Back Porch BBQ, Montelle Winery, Sweet Kettle Corn Co., Happy Apples, S’mores, and more for ticket holders before and after the tours.
East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) student Shirley Luecke just earned an Aerospace Quality Technician credential that she hopes will take her career to new heights.
Luecke is an AEL English Language Acquisition (English as a Second Language) student who attends classes at the ECC campus in Union.
In June, Luecke received her certification after passing the final exam for the 180 Skills Aerospace Quality Technician Course. The comprehensive course was extensive and consisted of 183 modules that she completed in about four to five months.
The 180 Skills deliver skills training for the manufacturing sector. The only thing she needs now is an opportunity to apply her knowledge with hands-on experience.
The course prepared Luecke for a career at an aerospace manufacturer, which she hopes will land her a better job.
“When I see something I would like to do, then I will apply,” she said. “I hope they (employers) will like me and try me. I work very hard and I will do my best.”
Luecke, of the Spring Bluff area, is originally from the Philippines and she has been living in this area for eight years.
She graduated from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 1989 with a degree in Business Management. While in college she took English courses, however, she needed refresher classes which led her to the AEL program at ECC.
She has been taking English Language Acquisition classes for about two years.
“I came here to check my English pronunciation and grammar,” Luecke said.
“At first, it felt like grade one,” she added. “I was very shy and I would not talk. I overcame that.”
Luecke is continuing to take English classes and regaining English language skills she learned in college, including spelling words in English.
“Little by little, I remember,” she said. “I am working hard and learning more every day.”
ECC’s AEL program offers several programs to help adult learners with workforce training skills, English Language Acquisition, Communication and Customer Service Certificate Programs and much more.
To learn more about what the AEL program offers, visit www.eastcentral.edu/ael/, email ael@eastcentral.edu or call 636- 584-6533.
These first-year East Central College nursing students are beginning their journey into the health care field.
The students were in full uniform Tuesday, Oct. 13, for clinical orientation day. Clinicals are a vital, hands-on portion of the nursing program curriculum.
This is the first semester in the ECC Nursing program for these students who were pictured during their Fundamentals of Nursing course.
The classroom and clinical components of the curriculum are interrelated to provide a strong background for students to become safe and competent practitioners.
ECC offers two programs leading to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing, which prepare students to become registered nurses.
To learn more about the ECC Nursing program, visit www.eastcentral.edu/allied-health/nursing/, or email Nancy Mitchell, Director of Nursing and Dean of Health Science, at Nancy.Mitchell@eastcentral.edu.
There will be changes to East Central College’s Fine & Performing Arts outdoor events next week due to dropping temperatures.
The Classics and Cocktails viewing of “Anatomy of a Murder,” featuring the ECC Jazz Band, previously slated for Thursday, Oct. 22, has been canceled. It was part of the ECC Film and Lecture series and the movie was to be shown in the Theatre in the Glen.
The Tuesday, Oct. 20, ECC Concert Band performance, also scheduled in the Theatre in the Glen, will now be livestreamed only and it will be held in conjunction with an ECC Jazz Band performance. The event will begin at 7 p.m.
A link to the livestream event will be posted on the ECC website at www.eastcentral.edu/ and the ECC Facebook and Twitter pages when it becomes available.
Anyone with questions about the cancellation of “Anatomy of a Murder” or the change to the ECC Band Concert may call 636-584-6720 or email Sylvia.sellers@eastcentral.edu.