210: Technical Education, Apprenticeships, and Addressing the Needs of Industry Today and in the Future with Ashley Furniture and Western Technical College
Dr. Josh Gamer, Dean of the Integrated Technology Division at Western Technical College, and Kris Gengler, Education Foundation Manager at Ashley Furniture, discuss a decade-long partnership aimed at addressing the manufacturing skills gap. They detail the development of the Wanek Center of Innovation, a facility designed to bridge education and industry through advanced technology exposure and apprenticeship pathways. The conversation highlights how regional collaboration, international benchmarking trips to Germany, and flexible training models are preparing students and workers for the future of manufacturing.