For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Schmelz, Foundation Director
Phone: 608.822.2379
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: June 6, 2018
Lactalis partners with Southwest Tech for the Sponsor-A-Scholar program
Fennimore -Lactalis recently signed an agreement with the Southwest Tech Foundation to participate in the Foundation’s Sponsor-A-Scholar Program (SASP) which aims to recruit qualified students into technical degree programs and place them with companies seeking qualified entry-level employees.
The SASP was initiated as a way to recruit students into high demand fields, partner them with an employer seeking skilled labor and offset the majority of the student’s tuition costs with scholarships and direct payment from the employer. Through the Southwest Tech Foundation Lactalis will offer a $2,500 scholarship to recruit students into the Electro-Mechanical Technology program. The Southwest Tech Foundation will host a cultivation event in the fall with students enrolled in the Electro-Mechanical Technology program and Lactalis will have the opportunity to choose one student to sponsor for the remainder of their college career.
“With Lactalis being an international company and one of the largest employers within Southwest Wisconsin we want to build and continue our partnership with Southwest Wisconsin Technical College for current and future graduating students to meet our industrial/technology needs within our diverse workforce,” stated Lenny Bass, Campus & Dairy Academy Manager at Lactalis.
Kim Schmelz, Director of External Relations and Alumni Development stated, “There is a need from our business partners to find, recruit and train highly skills technicians. We feel fortunate that Lactalis is willing to make an investment for current and future students by participating in the Sponsor-A-Scholar program.”
The Electro-Mechanical Technology program provides training in electrical and electronic controls, robotics, utilization of computers and computer-based controls, as well as the knowledge of how these controls integrate with hydraulics, pneumatics and other mechanical drive elements to form automated systems.
Lactalis American Group is the North American division of the world’s largest dairy company in the world with over 1750 employees in the U.S. with six manufacturing sites. It has three of North America’s most popular cheese brands: President, Galbani, & Rondele. The Lactalis plant in Belmont opened in 1982 and currently employs 260 people.
For information on how to become a SASP sponsor, please contact the Southwest Tech Foundation at 608.822.2379 and for more information or how to enroll in the Electro-Mechanical Technology Program please call 608-822-3262.
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Photo caption: L to R: Kim Schmelz, David Wittkop, Plant Director, Paul Knepper, Maintenance Manager, Kendal Garrison, Human Resources Manager and Derek Dachelet, Executive Dean of Industry, Trades and Agriculture.
