Tech students dig

heavy equipment

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD -- Cottonwood River Technical Center construction trades instructor Bernie Wenner attended a seminar for teachers last summer in which he operated heavy equipment.

The seminar gave him an idea.

"I thought, 'Geez, why not see if the equipment could be brought to the kids and let them have a chance to operate it?' said Wenner. "It was really great that the firms donated the time and equipment."

It also helped that he knew the right people to call.

Wenner contacted Glen Mathiowetz of M R Paving & Excavating, Inc. of New Ulm who called Ziegler Caterpillar of Minneapolis.

Wenner never thought he would see four pieces of new, state-of-the-art, heavy equipment worth $250,000-$500,000 at the tech center, but that was the case when he came to work Wednesday.

Construction Trades students took turns operating a bulldozer, conventional back hoe, tractor back hoe and skid steer in a field just east of the tech center.

The bulldozer featured a GPS (Global Positioning System). Some of the equipment also included laser leveling.

Operating the equipment was just the ticket for many of Wenner's students who grew up on farms, he said.

"You can tell the farm kids that have been around heavy equipment. It was natural for many of them to really take to the equipment," said Wenner. "I wanted to expose students to construction work other than residential carpentry which we have been doing for years."

Construction Trades student Bret Bergs, a junior at Sleepy Eye Public School, said operating the bulldozer was easier than he thought it would be.

"I could control the whole thing with one hand," said Bergs.

The hands-on experience encouraged Bergs to consider working in heavy construction.

Operating the machinery required good hand-eye coordination, Chris Kolbe said.

Ross Fischer enjoyed using the back hoe, which he said was easier to use than the bulldozer.

Jacob Sellner was most excited about driving the big equipment.

"Coming from a farm community, this really fits me," said Sellner.

The biggest challenge of the construction business across the state is finding qualified workers, especially in construction trades, according to Gerald Wenner of the Minnesota Department of Trade & Economic Development in St. Paul

He was impressed with the CRTC program.

"This is an excellent partnership between a local company and a Fortune 500 company," said Gerald Wenner.

Mathiowetz's purpose in coming to CRTC was to expose students to a possible career opportunity in construction.

"Many construction workers will be needed in the near future so we can keep up with the needs of our area," said Mathiowetz. "Equipment operators are ground level jobs in the industry. Those people will be promoted to supervisory, management and even ownership."

The CRTC training event was part of Minnesota Manufacturers Week, Oct. 16-22.

This year was the seventh anniversary of the observance for manufacturers in the state, recognizing more than 8,000 manufacturing businesses that contribute to local economies with jobs, business and community development.

Manufacturing jobs have increased at a rate eight times faster in outstate Minnesota than in the metro area since 1990.