WITC Gets Set to Train Future Kestrel Employees
Posted at: 01/29/2012 8:45 PM
| Updated at: 01/29/2012 10:31 PM
By: Katey Rusch
In the last two weeks Superior has announced the possibility of more than 1,000 news jobs coming to the area. But beneath the city's excitement for employment a local college is getting ready to train a new workforce, especially for Kestrel Aircraft.
"We were there the first day of them meeting and bringing this thing forward," said Charlie Glazman, Associate Dean of Continuing Education at WITC in Superior. "I think we are finding more and more as an economic development tool the educational institutions we have in this area is a real plus in attracting new businesses."
While WITC doesn't have a specific program designed for Kestrel yet they do have current programs like machining and welding that could teach future Kestrel employees.
"I think we are well positioned to fill the initial needs but at some point we need to sit down with the company and say okay are there other needs," said Glazman.
One of those needs may be a composite technician or someone trained specifically to handle the special material called composite that Kestrel planes will be made of.
"We want to do it and we want to do it right so we are going to do it when the company really wants it," said Glazman.
Some students in some programs like welding and machining are already Kestrel employee wannabes.
"The benefits of a company coming in that's not set in stone you can actually raise up in the company quickly," said Matt Knops, a graduate of WITC.
And it's not just Kestrel they're exicted about. WITC is also preparing to educate future employees of Exodus, who just announced an expansion and potentially Magnetation who may build a pellet plant in Douglas County.
"We try to serve as many companies as possible but our problem right now is resources," said Glazman.
But it's resources they hope to get as the tax base expands.
"As a technical college we are here to support a skilled and knowledgeable work force," said Glazman.
Kestrel plans to hire 250 initially at their composite plant and 350 later at their manufacturing facility.
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