Two Colleges Enroll Right Along in Marshfield
Marshfield is a two-college town, home to Mid-State Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County.
Energizing the enrollment at MSTC are the five associate degree programs in renewable energy. The degree offerings are biorefinery technology, energy efficiency technician, renewable electricity technician, renewable energy specialist and renewable thermal energy technician.
“Before gas went to $4 [per gallon], these programs were getting popular – but now they are very popular,” says Ron Zillmer, associate dean of the Technical & Industrial Division. “A lot of industries around Marshfield rely on natural resources and energy, so our college decided to focus a lot more on the environmental theme. As a result, students in our five programs are truly in demand.”
Zillmer says graduates of the programs find jobs in industries that can involve wind turbines, fuel cell technology, solar hot-water heating, waste wood boilers, solar panels, fluid processing and ethanol technology.
“Students can be hired not only as installers but as designers, salespeople, marketers and distribution specialists,” he says. “We carefully researched the renewable energy industry both nationally and internationally, and came up with these five programs that will remain vital and popular for students for years to come.”
And at UW-Marshfield/Wood County, the college has initiated a FastTrack program that focuses on the needs of the working professional. The program is structured so that students can begin a course at any date, attend classes one night a week and complete a course within five weeks instead of the normal 15.
“Class offerings include introduction to business, composition, applied chemistry, public speaking, music appreciation, college algebra, accounting, business ethics and women’s studies,” says Melissa Lake, director of university relations at UW-Marshfield/Wood County. “Students are required to attend class Tuesday evenings from 6-9:15 p.m., then enjoy the flexibility and convenience of learning online."
