FVTC helps AriensCo grow its own employees through ongoing education.
It’s Wednesday afternoon at AriensCo and production at the outdoor power equipment maker is in high gear. But nearby, more than a dozen employees are equally as busy in the classroom, where they’re enrolled in a new certificate program facilitated by Fox Valley Technical College.
“Ariens asked FVTC to create a customized program in quality for its employees,” explains Janet Braun, department chair of manufacturing operations at FVTC. “The company picked courses it thought were most applicable to their training needs and together we created the AriensCo Quality Technician Certificate.”
The program’s first cohort started one year ago with courses being taught in person by FVTC instructors at the company’s Brillion headquarters. The company covers tuition and associated costs, but students must work with supervisors to make time for class.
“The first students in the program have already earned their certificate,” Janet says. “Once they earn further training credits at Ariens Academy, FVTC will award credit for prior learning, and some students are positioned to graduate in May with an associate degree in Quality Engineering Technology.”
“This program was created as a developmental pathway to grow our employees internally,” says Tracy Tuschl, senior manager of human resources at AriensCo. “AriensCo looks forward to continuing this offering well into the future.”
The effort to build bench strength is already underway with a second cohort of students starting the program this fall.
“This idea of employers paying for an employee’s education is an attractive way to get workers in the building,” Janet says. “More employers are looking at this option as a way to not only train their employees, but retain them as well.”
The associate degree in Quality Engineering Technology is available to anyone at FVTC. The majority of classes are online but some courses do offer in-person options.
The specialized AriensCo Quality Technician Certificate was recently highlighted by local TV stations. Take a look >>