Focus On:
Building a New Workforce

In response to an area shortage of employees trained in the fields of veterinary technician and business management, Moraine Park initiated two new offerings in the fall of 2006. In doing so, the College launched the second Veterinary Technician program in Wisconsin, and simultaneously added Business Management to program offerings.

Demand for trained professionals in these areas is so high, Moraine Park expects to enroll 18 Veterinary Technician and 90 Business Management students by 2008. “We will feed the workforce with a large pool of applicants,” said Executive Dean of Instructional Technology Pete Rettler, “to advance both Moraine Park and the larger community.”

The best way to do this, according to Rettler, is by developing new programs according to the needs of the workforce.

Veterinary Technician Program Debuts as Second in State

Veterinary Technician programs are scarce in Wisconsin. Only Madison Area Technical College (MATC) graduated Veterinary Technician students prior to a program being added at Moraine Park. One offering was not enough to satisfy the state’s demands for the profession, according to Laura Lien, instructor and director of the Moraine Park Veterinary Technician program. “MATC has graduated veterinary technicians for more than 30 years, but not enough to cover demand. On top of that, the federal government says this profession will experience a near 38 percent growth between 2002 and 2012,” she said.

That’s why Moraine Park conducted a needs assessment to determine demand for Veterinary Technicians in its district, she added. “The percent of survey responses for the program were very high,” said Lien. “In particular, area employers were concerned students would travel to MATC for the Veterinary Technician program, find employment in the Madison area and then not return to the Moraine Park District. That’s the problem with having only one program in the state.”

Rettler added that another Veterinary Technician program in Wisconsin would open doors for a wider variety of students. “The Veterinary Technician program at MATC is really geared toward traditional-aged students,” he explained. “There are older people who have been veterinary assistants for years who want to advance to veterinary technicians, but picking up and moving to Madison to go to school full-time at this stage in their lives isn’t feasible.”

Moraine Park’s Veterinary Technician program allows students to gain didactic learning online, and real-life, hands-on skills at participating veterinary clinics. Online courses are very helpful for non-traditional students who cannot spend as much time in a classroom, according to Rettler.

Moraine Park Veterinary Technician student Jennie McMonagle of Maribel, Wis., is an example of such a case. “I already went to a four-year university and didn’t feel like moving again, so MATC was not an option for me,” she said. “After graduating college once already, I also didn’t feel like sitting forever in a classroom. Moraine Park’s online courses really fit with my needs and where I am in my life.”

Veterinary Technician student Steve Kandel, of West Bend, Wis., shares similar feelings. “I was prepared to enter a different career, but I could not find an employer,” he said. “After discovering the employment opportunities in the Veterinary Technician field, I was thrilled to find that Moraine Park offered the program. It’s a relief to be able to go to school and pursue my career, all without leaving the area.”

After just a year, the Moraine Park Veterinary Technician program is growing and successful, according to Rettler. “We had 15 students start the program last year, and already have 18 new students enrolled for the fall,” he said. “We expect that number to grow.”

Filling a Demand for Professionals with
Business Management Skills

Similarly, just as the Veterinary Technician program has gained momentum, so has Moraine Park’s new Business Management program – another offering developed to fulfill the needs of business and industry.

“Students in the area were inquiring about a business program,” said Pat Olson, dean of business and culinary arts. It seemed there was a need, so Moraine Park investigated whether or not a Business Management program was wanted by businesses. The idea gleaned positive responses. Not only do corporations need formally trained employees, they need employees with a relatively broad knowledge base of business, according to Olson. That’s why the new Business Management program at Moraine Park delivers comprehensive coverage of the business field.

“The program provides students with an overview in a number of business areas: accounting, marketing, supervision and business technologies,” Olson explained. “Many of the businesses in our district are very small. Students who find jobs in these small businesses will most likely not specialize, but be required to perform a broad span of operations.”

This fall, 78 students are enrolled in the program and Olson expects the number to increase to more than 90 by the end of the school year.

“Many corporations today expect some formal education related to the job description,” said Jeff Manke, of North Fond du Lac, Wis., a Moraine Park Business Management student. “The Business Management program has provided me with the modern essential tools necessary to thrive in the rapidly changing business climate,” he said.

For more information and a video tour of the Veterinary Technician and Business Management programs at Moraine Park Technical College, visit www.morainepark.edu/pages/1277.asp or www.morainepark.edu/pages/348.asp.

Building a New Workforce

Message from the President

Hello. I’m Dr. Gayle Hytrek, President of Moraine Park Technical College. Thank you for your interest in Moraine Park Technical College by reviewing our 2006-2007 Annual Report. The theme of this year’s report focuses on our changing communities and the impact of Moraine Park in meeting our communities’ needs.
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              - Gayle Hytrek, Ed. D.
                Moraine Park President