Janco Industries – a custom metal fabricator located in Sully, Iowa – realized they had a problem. They had a need for additional CNCs (Computer Numeric Controllers) and were concerned about finding an applicant with the right skill set. The Solution? The DMACC Scholars Program.
The DMACC Scholars Program allows students to work part-time at a company while also getting their certificate, diploma, or degree. The Employer can select an existing employee or intern for the program, or work with DMACC Department Chairs to find an existing student who is in the desired program area and looking for a career opportunity. The selected student(s) then enter an agreement with the company where the employer pays for the student's tuition and guarantees a job for the student after graduation and in turn, the student works part-time for the company while attending classes and agrees to work full-time at the company for a specific amount of time after graduation.
For Janco Industries, the Scholars Program process was simple. They had an intern who was already interested in the field that they had a need for, and they had the help of a DMACC Business Resources Business Consultant. By working with a DBR Business Consultant, Janco Human Resources employees were able to easily create a path for their selected intern to take without the burden of large amounts of paperwork. Their plan was custom to Janco's needs and company goals and met the requirements DMACC lays out for their Scholars Program participants. Their selected student would attend DMACC full-time and work at Janco for a minimum of 10 hours per week in the area they would eventually be working once they obtained their degree.
Finding the right candidate was key to Janco's success. Their scholar is a local employee who appreciates working in his hometown and using the skills he has learned through his schooling. That, coupled with hands-on experience at Janco, helped place him in a full-time career.
It took two years for Janco's Scholar to finish their Machining Technology degree. In those two years, Janco management worked with their Scholar's class schedule each semester to plan out when working hours would take place. It required flexibility and management buy-in. But at Janco, they recognized the value of investing in a young person and helping them reach their education goals. Their scholar brought a fresh perspective to the team and the energy to improve processes. And now that their Scholar has their required degree, Janco has doubled the number of employees who can perform CNC duties and increased their capacity as a company.
The DMACC Scholars Program is not only good for companies looking for creative ways to address workforce needs, but also benefits the students going through the program. The fear of needing to find a job after graduation is taken away and they can graduate with no student debt. Employers gain an experienced, skilled, and invested worker to add to their team.
With the help of a DBR consultant, the story of Janco Industries could very well be the story of any company in central Iowa. If you are curious whether the DMACC Scholars program is the right fit for your company, reach out to DMACC Business Resources today!