Two Sturgeon Bay institutions are ensuring there are plenty of family-sustaining jobs available for Door County residents for the foreseeable future. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding announced on Monday that it will be expanding its partnership to advance the maritime manufacturing industry to meet the business’ growing workforce demand. The two organizations joined forces last fall to design a specialized training program for FBS employees to improve their welding and pipefitting techniques. Over 100 participants and 15,000 training hours later, NWTC and FBS will expand on their initial pilot program that included a five-week course into one with a higher student capacity and longer curriculum. NWTC Dean of Corporate Training and Economic Development Jim Draeger said this is an example of how it meets the needs of the communities they serve.

FBS Vice President and General Manager Jan Allman said it is “important to have community-based training with experienced, highly-skilled instructors like those at NWTC “ when it comes to helping its employees gain additional skills. You can apply to be in the next session here.