Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
SCOTTSBLUFF - The Western Nebraska Community College Foundation has received a $20,000 donation from Nebraska Machinery Company with a $20,000 match from Caterpillar for WNCC's Diesel, Truck, & Heavy Equipment Technology program.
"We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Nebraska Machinery and Caterpillar, and especially thankful to the local NMC branch," WNCC Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Reisig said. "This is a huge donation for our new Diesel Tech program that will make a substantial impact on our students."
Local support of the program by the Gering branch of NMC opened the opportunity for this donation from Nebraska Machinery Company and led to the Caterpillar match.
“Most students that graduate from a local diesel technology program tend to stay in their home environment promoting a talent pool for local businesses in the area," said Bob Sorok, Gering Operations Branch Manager. "Having these students stay home after graduation promotes a viable opportunity to offer employment. We at NMC are very excited to assist in any way to help WNCC to help their diesel technology program succeed at the local level.”
The NMC and Caterpillar donations will be used to fund student scholarships, materials, and equipment for the program as well as furnishing the Applied Technologies building on the Scottsbluff Campus to house the program for the spring semester as the first cohort begins their second semester in January.
In addition to the donation, WNCC's current and prospective Diesel Tech students will also be eligible to apply for NMC's Student Sponsorship Program that includes two years of paid tuition, books, fees, a complete toolbox and tool set, a personalized mentorship and guidance over the course of the program, paid internship(s) with hands-on experience, and employment and career progression opportunities with NMC. To learn more about the NMC Student Sponsorship program, visit nmccat.com/careers/student-programs.
The first cohort of Diesel Tech students started in the Fall 2021 semester, completing courses such as Basic Shop Skills, Safety and Emergency Response, Introduction to Welding, and OSHA-10 for General Industry.
Originally, the program was to be hosted at the Aulick Industries building on Avenue I in Scottsbluff, but due to overlaying schedules with Scottsbluff High School's existing Diesel program, it was determined that the Aulick space would not accommodate both programs.
"It was amazing to have so many students interested in the program right away but when we started scheduling classes we quickly realized that there wasn't enough space for both programs to run smoothly," Reisig said. "We are still extremely thankful for our relationship with Aulick's, as they were instrumental in helping us get this program off the ground."
Contact the WNCC Foundation at 308.630.6550 to learn more about ways to partner and support the Diesel Tech program. For more information about WNCC's Diesel Tech program, visit go.wncc.edu/dieseltech.
About Western Nebraska Community College
For more than 90 years, Western Nebraska Community College has been educating residents of Nebraska's Panhandle. With campus locations in Alliance, Scottsbluff, and Sidney, WNCC offers educational, training, and growth opportunities for students, partners, and community members throughout its 12-½ county service area.
Reader Comments(0)