Tag: WEG Transformers USA

College’s CWD Sponsors First IT Apprenticeship

February 23, 2024 | Campus News

The first Information Technology-focused apprenticeship was recently completed through a partnership between East Central College’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD) and WEG Transformers USA. Erick Voss, a network and computer systems administrator at WEG, successfully finished a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship program tailored to IT positions, marking the first of its kind at ECC.

Voss acquired proficiency in Microsoft Azure tools and online Azure programs, emphasizing the significance of cloud computing. Additionally, he received training in cybersecurity tools provided by Cisco. Voss highlighted the opportunity to select training that would be most beneficial for his role at WEG USA.

“I learned commands and tools for troubleshooting and networking, and I gained insights into detailed cybersecurity threats and the best ways to combat them,” he stated.

WEG’s human resources department recommended the apprenticeship to Voss and collaborated directly with the CWD. “I highly recommend this to my coworkers in IT because it can be tailored to any skill set,” he added.

Melissa Richards, ECC’s CWD apprenticeship and business training program coordinator, mentioned that CWD partnered with SAFAL Partners, a DOL intermediary offering training resources and apprenticeship expertise for sponsors like ECC. She highlighted that ECC utilized DOL funding to create this customized apprenticeship, with registrations and validations provided by the DOL.

“Industry partners like SAFAL enable ECC to expand into new areas of training and study, as we are primarily involved in manufacturing apprenticeships,” Richards explained. “We are always seeking to broaden our apprenticeship offerings and fields of study for all industries in our service region.

“Programs like this enable us to customize and tailor training to a company, a department, or a specific employee so they receive the training they need in an area of study relevant to their work or career advancement.”

To learn more about registered apprenticeships through ECC’s CWD, visit our Registered Apprenticeships page or call 636-649-5800.

WEG Transformers Presented MCCA Industry Award for ECC Partnership

November 17, 2023 | Campus News

A local industry with an international footprint was recognized by the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) for its work with East Central College

WEG Transformers USA, based in Washington, was presented a Distinguished Business and Industry Award on Nov. 9 during the MCCA annual conference. WEG was nominated for the award by ECC because of the industry’s work with the College’s Adult Education & Literacy (AEL) program.

A Distinguished Business and Industry Award was presented by the MCCA to WEG Transformers, an international company based in Washington, Mo. WEG was nominated for the award by ECC because of the industry’s work with the College’s Adult Education & Literacy program.

WEG is an international company that operates at three locations in Washington designing and producing electrical transformers and substations. In 2021, the company hired 30 immigrants from St. Louis to work at their facilities and wanted them to enhance their English language skills to better understand the culture and their workforce.

That’s where the relationship between WEG and ECC’s AEL began.

The employees, immigrants from across the world, that includes India, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Afghanistan, were placed with WEG through the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) — an immigrant and job placement service/information hub which connects refugees and immigrants to a variety of opportunities in the St. Louis region.

Beginning February 2022, the AEL program worked with the new WEG employees to further develop their English language skills that included specific lingo and language used in the Manufacturing industry.

The English Language Acquisition classes were taught by ECC at the WEG facilities before or after the employees’ regular work schedule. As a result, 12 of 30 employees successfully completed the. Several of them were honored by the College during the Student Achievement ceremony held April 2023.

The unique public/private partnership has resulted in more qualified employees for WEG Transformers and maintains their competitive edge and enhances the lives of a group of workers as they adapt and adjust to their new homeland.

ECC Partners With Manufacturer to Provide Internships for Welding Students

February 14, 2023 | Campus News

East Central College and WEG Transformers USA embarked on a collaboration project that has benefited both the college’s welding students and the Washington-based manufacturer of power transformers.

WEG Transformers provided an internship for four ECC Welding students who learned the ropes while working for the industry. Through the internship, the students gained hands-on, real-word experience at the manufacturer. WEG is a multi-national company that produces power and distribution transformers at its Washington plant for North America and overseas.

The students — Holly Downey, Sadie Meyer, Zach Regot and Cole Vance — completed the internship in the Fall 2022 semester and earned 5 credits hours each.

WEG and ECC developed a four-week internship that assesses students from safety, attendance, welding, blueprint reading and communication, according to ECC Welding Program Coordinator Bobby Bland.

“The interns were partnered with select employees from WEG that would be a great fit to the needs of the students, while working with the employees, students got to see first-hand to what working in a manufacturing facility was really like,” Bland said. “As instructors we can talk about the experience all we want in class but for student to be in that production environment it is higher learning education at its finest.”

Once they completed the internship, students were given a writing assignment to reflect on their experience at WEG.

“The papers were above and beyond my expectations of what they learned while they participated in the internship,” said Dr. Richard Hudanick, dean of career and technical education. “Students wrote about their struggles, triumphs and excitement, coming back with more value that they can share with their fellow students in class, which really engaged the rest of the class.”

“These students are developing talent in an ever-expanding field of transformer manufacturing where welding is core,” he added. “This is a success story.”

WEG USA Human Resource Director Chris Vansickle said the ECC students worked closely alongside WEG employees and learned from the company’s culture.

“We value each individual contribution to our success, and we motivate people by means of integrity, ethics and constant support to personal development,” he said. “Working as a team, we gather the best knowledge, intelligence and skill to constantly improve our work and benefit our customers.

“Every day we work to make things better. All products, processes and developments are driven by the desire to increase efficiency,” Vansickle added.

Hudanick said Bland met with the four students, and WEG supervisors and employees after the conclusion of the internship to gather information to make the next collaboration even more successful.

“Internships and apprenticeships are the future of filling manufacturing employment opportunities within our community,” Hudanick said.

ECC and WEG Partnerships

The College’s Adult Education and Literacy program and WEG already had been working together before the welding internships.

More than 30 WEG employees are being taught English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses through the ECC AEL program.

The students joined WEG in 2021 through the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) — an immigrant and job placement service/information hub which connects refugees and immigrants to a variety of opportunities in the St. Louis region. The jobs range from entry-level to professional positions, within a variety of industries.

AEL Director Alice Whalen and Vansickle worked together to implement the ELA courses at WEG.

AEL Program Helps Washington Manufacturer Teach Employees English

September 9, 2022 | Campus News

There are 31 employees of a Washington manufacturer who are learning on the jobsite how to read, write, listen to, and speak English.

These employees — at WEG Transformers USA — are being taught English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses through the East Central College Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program.

According to Alice Whalen, AEL director, the partnership has been fruitful.

“We have really seen their confidence grow, as well as their communications skills.” she said. “The students are enthusiastic to come to class — they are learning English and coming in with new vocabulary words.”

Whalen explained that the students joined WEG last year through the International Institute of St. Louis (IISTL) — an immigrant and job placement service/information hub which connects refugees and immigrants to a variety of opportunities in the St. Louis region.

The jobs range from entry-level to professional positions, within a variety of industries.

WEG is a multi-national manufacturing company that produces power and distribution transformers at its Washington plant for North America and overseas. Whalen added that the Washington manufacturer partnered with IISTL due to a shortage of workers to fill its second shift and new facility needs.

Then, in December 2021, the College’s AEL program met with WEG management and sculpted the plan to provide classes on-site during first and second shifts, helping the company maintain its workforce.

WEG Classes

According to Whalen, in February the 31 new WEG employees were assessed on their English skills, which determined the level of instruction they needed — beginner, intermediate or advanced.

The students meet for one hour, five days a week, in one of three sessions based on their schedule. There are three classes: two in the first shift, and one during second shift. The first two classes began in March, followed by the third class starting in April. The classes primarily target reading, writing, listening, and speaking English in the context of the workplace, including safety.

“The employees are taught workplace vocabulary, especially concerning safety,” Whalen said. “They also are taught about American culture and life skills.”

WEG Transformers USA Employees — Pictured is one of two groups of first-shift WEG Transformers USA. employees, who also are AEL English Acquisition students; and their ECC AEL instructors at WEG Transformers USA.

In addition to teaching the non-English speaking employees, the ELA classes also reinforce what the company supervisors are teaching their staff.

Challenges

The students hail from four countries and speak one of five native languages: Democratic Republic of Congo, Swahili; Afghanistan, Persian and Farsi; India, Hindi; and Rwanda, Kinyarwanda. Whalen noted that none of those native languages share roots with English, and there are few similarities between their languages and English. However, Hindi, Persian and Farsi have similar roots.

“Many of the employees have no English background, but the classmates support each other,” she said. “They help with translations when the teacher is unable to.”

Future Programs

Whalen said that this model could be replicated. She noted that this is the first for both WEG, and for the College’s AEL program. She added that there also are

opportunities to teach High School Equivalency classes to prepare employees for the HiSET (formerly GED) exam. Whalen explained that American businesses lose more than $60 billion each year due to lack of employees’ basic skills.

According to Whalen, the benefits of adult education in the workforce include greater access to future training, more participation in meetings, direct cost savings and higher morale.

For more information about the AEL program, ELA classes or AEL in the workplace, contact Whalen at 636-584-6532 or alice.whalen@eastcentral.edu, and visit www.eastcentral.edu/ael.

Area Companies Gift Supplies to ECC Welding Program

March 1, 2022 | Campus News

Donations totaling over $5,000 dollars in materials to the East Central College Welding Program are providing much-needed metals for hands-on learning in the welding lab.

But the donations provide much more than materials — it also builds relationships.

That’s according to Bobby Bland, welding program instructor, who said the donations have sparked communication and collaboration among the students and local industries.

Five industries, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Blazer Boats, Baker Products, WEG Transformers USA, and Rivercraft Trailers are companies that Bland has partnered with in the past.

“These donations allow for collaboration with our industry partners to build a strong bond among our students and the community,” he said.

The donations include metal supplies, such as stainless steel and aluminum.

“We are always appreciative for the kind generosity of our industry partners,” added Dr. Richard Hudanick, dean of career and technical education at ECC. “I look forward to further expanding these relationships and building career pathways for our students.”

Listed below are the names of the companies making donations, their location, and the value of the gifts:

Nestle Purina Support Center, St. Louis, $1,000;
Blazer Boats, Ellington, Mo., $1,000;
Baker Products, Ellington, Mo., $5,000;
WEG Transformers USA, Washington, $1,000; and
Rivercraft Trailers, $1,000, Van Buren, Mo.

Bland explained that while students work with the donated materials, they learn about the company that donated the metals.

“This creates a great pathway to the companies,” he added. “It also creates a pool of future employees for these industries.

“The students learn the real-world application of the materials and hear about the industries to learn what they actually do.”

According to Bland, the generosity of the donors provides great assistance to the program due to the costs of metal.

“If we were to purchase new metal, the program would be much more costly and we want to continue to provide a top-notch program at a low cost,” he said. “The cost of materials is why many welding schools charge so much for enrollment.”

Bland noted that the donated materials directly impact both current and future students.

“For example, the Baker Products donation will last for four semesters and will be used by welding students over the next few semesters,” he explained. “This is a huge benefit for our students and the entire program.”

Welding Program

The ECC welding curriculum is built to meet industry needs, and it exceeds it in ways that separate it from welding programs at other colleges, Bland said.

Each year, there are career opportunities lined up for ECC welding students because there is a large demand for qualified welders in the area and across the state.

According to Bland, his program at ECC provides a positive learning environment for students.

“We have fun and energetic lecture and lab environments,” he commented. “Our students work in teams and groups, and individually, which helps prepare them for what they will encounter in the workforce.”

In addition, Bland said, the ECC welding program offers training in Lean manufacturing and teaches students how to communicate with engineers and designers. Lean manufacturing is a process that reduces waste and maximizes productivity.

The Welding program also offers flexibility so students can learn the different welding processes such as MIG, TIG, and stick welding, Bland further added.

For more information about the ECC welding program, visit www.eastcentral.edu/career-technical-education/welding/.

WEG Looks to Hire, Sponsor Employees Through ECC Program

August 2, 2021 | Campus News

WEG Transformers USA (WEG), is seeking to hire multiple new employees, and then sponsor them through East Central College’s Registered Apprenticeship Program.

ECC’s Apprenticeship Program, though the Center for Workforce Development, provides training to employees of area manufacturers, which is tailored to the needs of each company. The apprenticeships in ECC’s career and tech programs provides a chance for employees to earn wages while they are taking part in the apprenticeship.

Team members in these programs will be represented by IUE-CWA, Local 86114.

According to WEG, ECC’s registered apprenticeship programs provide in-depth skill training in areas such as industrial maintenance, welding and machining, to meet the needs of local companies.

“We are highly impressed with the innovative Apprenticeship Program at ECC and we look forward to training new employees,” said Lacey Oswald, human resource generalist with WEG.

“We are very fortunate to have a resource in our community such as ECC that provides state-of-the-art training for companies in our area. We are very excited to have another opportunity to invest in our employees in the manner.”

ECC and WEG have partnered previously to provide training to employees.

ECC apprentices learn on the job while also taking classes at the college that can lead to a certificate and/or a degree in high-demand manufacturing fields.

An apprenticeship shows current and potential employees that a company is willing to invest in them. The investment strengthens a company’s workforce retention efforts.

WEG specializes in the manufacturing, assembly, supervision, and commissioning services of Power and Distribution Transformers – refer to www.weg.us for additional details about WEG’s product and other relevant matters.

Currently, WEG’s product demand has been growing substantially and the company is looking for determined, committed and enthusiastic people to help increase operations for one of three manufacturing facilities in Heidmann Industrial Park in Washington.

To become eligible to participate in an ECC apprenticeship, job seekers must apply for a position at WEG. If the applicant is hired, then ECC partners with WEG to provide the required skill-set training.

To apply for a position at WEG, visit https://weg.us/contact/ and click the “Apply Today” button, or call the company’s Washington location at 636-239-9300 to speak with Chris Vansickle, HR Manager.