As more companies recognize training as a cornerstone of workforce success, some are turning to Blackhawk Technical College for their technical training solutions. The College consistently stands out for its high-quality education, flexibility, and affordability.
GOEX has had success with Blackhawk’s Industrial Maintenance Mechanic training program, which prepares students to work in a modern manufacturing environment. Several GOEX employees have graduated from the program, and others are currently enrolled.
“GOEX has had a great experience when it comes to Blackhawk’s Industrial Maintenance program,” GOEX Human Resources Manager Dana Neal said. “GOEX was running into difficulties finding external, qualified individuals to fill maintenance roles at our facility. Essentially, it seemed fewer individuals were going into maintenance, and so many companies like ours were in need of employees with this skill set.”
To help bridge this gap, Neal explained, GOEX leaders decided to offer current employees who met certain parameters the option to take Blackhawk’s Industrial Maintenance Mechanic program for free–GOEX would pay the tuition cost. In exchange, the employees would commit a certain minimum amount of time to the company following their graduation from the program.
“Employees can now get a great education at no cost to themselves, and GOEX, in turn, gains qualified individuals to fill positions that open up when people retire or leave the company,” she said.
Flexible learning
GOEX appreciates the flexibility of the program—since each employee brings a unique skill set, the company can select individual courses or full programs based on each employee’s specific training needs. Blackhawk’s flexible lab hours also make it easy for its partners, like GOEX, to align training with their operational schedules.
“It is incredibly helpful to be able to select individual courses or full programs. Each of the GOEX team members who have chosen to take advantage of the GOEX continuing education option learn at a different pace. They each have different levels of time they can commit to their studies, and having the options to take on what works for them is really a strong learning benefit,” Neal said.
Neal explained how failure tends to show up when people feel like they can’t devote the time and energy needed to learn. “Flexibility is a key element of this program. To be successful at both work and school, you have to have it,” she said. “With the flexibility in this program, our team members can show value to both their work and their education.”
Blackhawk offers flexible lab hours as well, so students can choose times to fit their schedules. GOEX operates 24/7, so employees select lab times that fit their schedules. Neal said some employees decide to work overtime for extra money, and having lab times that aren’t set allows them to more easily fit education into their routine.
Great value
Blackhawk’s model enables companies to invest in employee development without disrupting daily operations. Additionally, our programs are very cost-effective: each 1-credit module includes approximately 36 hours of instruction (a mix of online and lab work) and is priced around $200.
Blackhawk’s classes have a great value-to-money ratio, Neal said, and the Industrial Maintenance program is, for GOEX, a no-brainer.
“Maintenance is an area at GOEX that has a number of workers coming up on retirement age, and a lot of knowledge going with it,” she said. “That’s why GOEX investing in the Industrial Maintenance program for our employees is a huge return on investment opportunity. It keeps the maintenance pipeline filled and gives the knowledge gained a place to land within the company. And that all happens at a reasonable actual cost.”
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