Share:
Waubonsee Community College hosted a cross-industry event at the Plano Campus on Wednesday, July 9, to launch a new microcredentialing program that will open for students this fall. “At the Crossroads of Education and Industry” Summit drew more than 60 local manufacturing professionals, educators, and industry experts to learn more about the program, Waubonsee’s Plano Campus, and the machinery students will have access to for hands-on learning.
“We’re excited to launch our Industrial Maintenance program in fall 2025 and to partner with industry leaders as we introduce a new generation of skilled workers to this high-demand field,” said Suzanne Markin, Workforce Education Manager at Waubonsee. “The Summit was a great opportunity to showcase the program and strengthen the connections that will support our students and our regional workforce.”
Waubonsee’s noncredit Industrial Maintenance program is designed to help close the industry’s skills gap, offering courses that range from introductory to advanced levels. With 23 stackable credentialing options and classes that typically run just eight weeks, the program equips learners with the skills they need to enter the workforce quickly and confidently.
“The value of this program comes from Waubonsee choosing to go to the manufacturers and ask, what do you guys need?” said Peter Skoda, HR Manager at Freudenberg Home Solutions. “As we keep that conversation going, along with the emerging technologies that are coming out, this is going to be the perfect environment to teach those new skills and to keep the technical workforce we have skilled to meet new equipment and new technologies.”
Industry Summit attendees had the opportunity to explore Waubonsee’s Industrial Maintenance lab at the Plano Campus, experience the Amatrol technology firsthand, meet a program instructor, and engage directly with industry experts.
“This is a beautiful facility with modern, up-to-date equipment that is really going to provide folks with some of the basic skills that they need to get into that first job,” said Jim Wall, CEO of the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA). “It’s also an opportunity for incumbent workers to come get training around these new technologies will help them advance their career and their companies.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 15% growth in employment opportunities between 2025 and 2033 – a significantly higher average than other occupations. As a large portion of the skilled workforce nears retirement, employers are actively seeking trained professionals to fill critical gaps and sustain operations.
“I'm seeing manufacturing come back to the U.S., it’s reshoring from other countries, and huge manufacturing plants are being built across the nation and even around here locally,” said Jason Everett, Regional Manager at Amatrol. "Technology is increasing and we're automating more systems, but at the same time the older workforce is retiring so there's this huge skills gap. We need programs like this to help fill that skills gap, and provide the training needed in the industry to keep these manufacturing plants running.”
Waubonsee has partnered with the SACA to ensure each course in the Industrial Maintenance program leads to an industry-recognized credential.
“We want to make sure that we have industry-aligned and industry-relevant programming and I think that's what helps set this program apart,” said Ne’Keisha Stepney, Assistant Provost of Workforce Development at Waubonsee. “We have really co-designed this with industry partners, and the modular organization of the equipment and the stackability of the curriculum is going to help us to be able to meet the needs of industry.”
For more information on the Industrial Maintenance program, visit waubonsee.edu/industrial-maintenance-microcredentials.
Above: Pictured from left to right: Andrew Limoges (MSI Express), Jesse Brady (IMEC), Peter Skoda (Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions), Ne’Keisha Stepney (Waubonsee Community College), and Kathy Gilmore (Valley Industrial Association) provide expert input on the panel discussion at the Crossroads of Education and Industry Summit at Waubonsee’s Plano Campus.
