SURGEONS of STEEL
In this issue TDMAW Summer Outing Will Trump’s Trade War Halt Economic Momentum? BotsIQ – Making an Impact through Project Based Education Leading the Way in Work-based Learning Follow TDMAW
Fall 2018 - Volume 12; Issue 3
President's Letter Consider Advertising in the
Surgeons of Steel
Reach readers who are directly connected to Wisconsin’s tool, die & machining industry 2018 Advertising Rates: Member/Partner/Sponsor
T
he TDMAW had a very nice 3rd quarter of the year. We held our committee meetings in July and definitely had a lot of great ideas that were acted on over the course of the quarter. We are donating a hardness tester to Forest Park Middle School in Franklin to beef up their technology programs. We are also planning on supporting our future tool and die makers and machinists through other future donations. To attract young people into our trades Laura from Team is working with videographers on a short video project. This video will be aimed at students, teachers, and parents to promote our trades. Our summer outing was a great success and a whole lot of fun. This was the first time I was able to attend this event and even though my shooting has a lot to be desired I had a smile on my face the entire time. Unfortunately I was not able to attend the Social but it sounded like everyone had a great time there. The economy is still hot and looks to not be cooling down anytime soon. We have a new NAFTA agreement, have reached an all –time high for the number of non-farm job openings, and have more progress made out of Washington. I was able to attend a prospective Foxconn supplier meeting at WCTC last month and can see that many of our member companies will have a lot of growth opportunities with them going forward. As many of you have also noticed, Foxconn is holding recruiting events across our area. It will be interesting to see what effect this has on our already minuscule pool of available workers and the ability for our members to find people. As I walked the floors of IMTS in September it was very apparent that the machine tool manufactures are trying to address the problem through automation. I really appreciate the opportunity to serve TDMAW as president over the last year. I hope I was able to make an impact for this wonderful organization and urge all of you to make an impact November 6th and vote. Kirk Kussman President, TDMAW 2018 kkussman@aztalan.com (920) 342-9455
2 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440
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Editorial Calendar: Interested in submitting an article for the Surgeons of Steel? Email your 500-700 word, Microsoft Word document to TDMAW at ToolMaker@TDMAW.org. Deadlines to submit articles are: Winter Issue: January 1 Spring Issue: April 1 Summer Issue: July 1 Fall Issue: October 1
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Table of Contents
2018 Board of Directors
President’s Letter..................................................................... 2
President – Kirk Kussman Aztalan Engineering Inc. 920.648.3411 | kkussman@aztalan.com
TDMAW Summer Outing is a HIT.............................................. 6 Federated Insurance Question of the Month: Investigatory Suspension: Paid or Unpaid?............................... 9 Will Trump’s Trade War Halt Economic Momentum?.......................................................... 11 Federated Insurance: Could There Be A Disaster in Your Future?.............................. 13
Vice President – John Thomann W-Steel & Grinding, Inc. 262.252.3630 | john@wsteel.net Treasurer – Brian Nuetzel Matzel Manufacturing, Inc., 414.466.3800 | Briann@mzmatzel.com Secretary – Chris Ernster eTek Tool & Manufacturing 262.377.4150 | chris@etektool.com Chairman of the Board – Pete Kambouris Wisconsin Engraving Company 262.786.4521 | pckambouris@wi-engraving.com
BotsIQ – Making an Impact through Project Based Education........................................................ 14 Microsoft Teams: What You Need to Know.............................. 16 Leading the Way in Work-based Learning.............................. 18 TDMAW 2018 Partners and Sponsors..................................... 19
KYLE J. HAUG Vice President Business Banking 262-703-3726 Member FDIC. ® and Huntington® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Huntington.® Welcome.TM is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2017 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated.
2018 Calendar of Events October 23, 2018 8:00-10:00 AM
Acieta Robotics Pewaukee Presentation & Tour
December 4, 2018 5:30-8:30 PM
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In the Know Welcome new TDMAW Members American Machine & Gear Works and MGS Manufacturing Group, Inc. American Machine & Gear Works Owner: Maureen Keller Address: 3262 So. Pine Ave., Milwaukee WI 53207 Website: www.thegearmaker.com MGS Manufacturing Group Contact: Joe Hook, Director – Advanced Manufacturing Address: W188 N11707 Maple Road, Germantown, WI 53022 Website: www.mgstech.com Our deepest sympathy to the family, friends and co-workers of Jim Kivela, co-owner of TDMAW member company Kivela Inc. Jim and his brother John began their business in their father’s garage in 1995 and Jim had a life-long passion for the industry. Jim found peace on September 19, 2018 at the age of 57. TDMAW Members are invited to attend Porkapalooza 2018 on November 1, 2018 from 3:00PM – 6:00PM at TDMAW member company Allis Tool & Machine Corp., to help them celebrate a great 2018 and have some fun! See the flyer on page 8. TDMAW logo apparel now available for sale through the new TDMAW Lands’ End store. Show your pride of membership by ordering embroidered, logoed items through the store. The store link and a sample of the embroidered logo may be found on the TDMAW website, TDMAW.org. TDMAW does not receive proceeds from your purchases but encourages you to promote the association through the use of logoed apparel or other items. TDMAW Lands’ End store link: https://business.landsend.com/store/tdmaw/ TDMAW is now selling *Proud Member of The TDMAW* t-shirts for $15 each. Proceeds go towards workforce development initiatives. The shirts are black and 100% cotton. Contact TDMAW headquarters if you are interested in purchasing a super cool Surgeons of Steel T-shirt: ToolMaker@TDMAW.org.
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TDMAW thrives in large part due to it’s fabulous volunteers! Consier getting more involved with your Tool & Die Association by serving on a committee. It is not a large time commitment and often the group is simply looking for new ideas and opinions from its committee members. If you are interested contact headquarters: ToolMaker@TDMAW.org.
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TDMAW Summer Outing is a HIT
Eagle Grinding
T
he Seventy attendees of this year’s TDMAW Sporting Clays Summer Outing, held at Waukesha Gun Club on August 13, had a *blast*. The outing included a casual picnic dinner catered by Thunder Bay Grille, the opportunity to shoot a flurry and/or 5-stand once the sporting clays course was completed, and a variety of door prizes generously donated by participants. Congratulations to the R & B Wagner Team who went home with the TRAVELING TEAM TROPHY, awarded to the team with the highest score overall, for the second year in a row! The honor of top individual shooter goes to Steve Janiszewski of Superior Die Set who shot a 50 – he hit ALL HIS TARGETS! Three people tied for second with scores of 49, including: Scott Hanneman of Stanek Tool, Al Weiss of Integrity Wire EDM and Kane Behling of R & B Wagner, Inc. Although TDMAW has some sharpshooters, this event is for marksmen of all skill levels and is always a good time! All are welcome; plan to join us next August when we do it again!
TDMAW tough guys!
Let’s see what you’ve got! 6 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440
www.TDMAW.org
Special thanks to: Dinner Sponsor, Federated Insurance Drink Ticket Sponsor, Tushaus & Associates Station Sponsors: • Federated Insurance • E.L. Simeth • MSC Industrial Supply • Superior Die Set • Susssex Tool & Supply • SWICKtech • ThermTech • VonBriesen & Roper Door Prize Donors: Bodycote............... Cabela’s gift card and cap Cincinnati Tool steel................................. Cap Eagle Grinding.......................... Four boxes of shotgun shells and two Cabela’s gift cards
Steve Janiszewski and crew
Federated Insurance........... Cabela’s gift card Masik Tool & Die...............Four Visa gift cards R & B Wagner.................... Four water bottles with Cabela’s gift cards inside Sumitomo...............Ten caps and two sleeves of golf balls Superior Die Set........................Case of shells TDMAW........... Proud TDMAW Member t-shirt TDMAW............................... Smokey Joe Grill TDMAW.....................Ratcheting screw driver
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toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 7
8 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440
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Investigatory Suspension: Paid or Unpaid? QUESTION: We have a full time employee who will be suspended pending the outcome of a sexual harassment accusation against him. Are we required to pay him for the hours that he would have regularly worked had he not been suspended?
RESPONSE:Absent a contract that otherwise governs the issue, the employer can, and in this scenario should, suspend without pay, but keep in mind that unpaid suspensions are generally only permitted for exempt employees if the suspension is in whole week increments. When it comes to investigating possible conduct infractions in the workplace, depending upon the severity of the allegations, it may be necessary to suspend the accused employee(s) so they are
removed from the workplace while the employer investigates. Often this enables the employer to impartially investigate without interference, and also reduces (or perhaps eliminates) the risk of any potential further harm at the hands of the accused in the interim. If the employer’s investigation, when concluded, reveals no wrongdoing (or perhaps did not reveal any action on the part of the accused that warranted an unpaid disciplinary suspension), the employer can always issue back pay to the suspended employee to make him whole. If, however, the employer determines after it investigates that a suspension was appropriate as a disciplinary action, then the unpaid suspension was already underway as a punitive measure. If termination of employment is to be outcome of the investigation, the unpaid suspension-
pending-investigation ensured that the accused employee ceased to earn wages as of the time the investigation commenced. We recommend that the employer have in place written policies relative to workplace investigations, including the rights to mandate unpaid suspensions as may accompany them. If you do not already have such a policy or policies in effect, we advise that the employer draft and implement the same. Sample policies are available in the Federated Employment Practices Network located in the Federated Shield Network website. Employers would do well to ensure that any new or revised policy is clearly communicated to employees, and then uniformly and consistently enforced once in effect. Want to learn more? Click here to listen to our podcast.
toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 9
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Legislative Update
Will Trump’s Trade War Halt Economic Momentum? Article submitted by WMC President & CEO, Kurt Bauer
I
wrote a column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the eve of the November 2015 Republican Presidential Debate held in Milwaukee. The topic was what the Wisconsin business community wants to hear from the candidates for president, both Republican and Democrat (Wisconsin also hosted a debate between Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in February 2016), on major economic issues like taxes, regulations, energy, minimum wage, etc.
The column was a chance to share with a broad audience what I had been hearing from business leaders via WMC Board meetings, member visits, speaking engagements and from responses to WMC’s semi-annual economic surveys. The column was also a not-so-veiled criticism of President Obama, and what I termed his “wrongheaded” economic policies that produced predictably anemic growth. On taxes, I said the U.S. corporate rate is uncompetitive. On regulations, I said the $1.88 trillion annual compliance cost was strangling business. On energy, I chastised Obama’s anti-fossil fuel policies and the Environmental Protection Agency’s fiats that threatened thousands of Wisconsin manufacturing jobs. On minimum wage and mandatory paid leave, I asked if the candidates believed that raising the costs of being an employer leads to more hiring and wage growth. Fast forward to June 4, 2018. That day marked the 500th day in office for President Donald J. Trump, and the White House invited me (and 7,000 other people) to participate in a conference call with POTUS himself to discuss his accomplishments. By any measure, it was an impressive list, and covered many of the issues that I mentioned in my column.
In fact, only Chad and the United Arab Emirates were higher. The U.S. rate has now dropped to a far more competitive 21 percent, which is below the worldwide average of 23 percent.
of then-White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who suggested Foxconn founder Terry Gou should consider southeastern Wisconsin for his North American complex after POTUS visited Kenosha.
That long overdue reduced rate is already spurring more investment by domestic companies, according to a variety of sources, including WMC’s latest economic survey. It is also incentivizing foreign direct investment in the U.S. and putting more money in workers’ pockets in the form of tax relief, increased pay, bonuses and benefits.
To the great frustration of Trump’s many critics on both the political left and right, the U.S. economy is responding well to the reforms listed above. Unemployment is 3.8 percent, the lowest since April 2000. Middle class supporting manufacturing and construction jobs are booming. The stock market is strong, and consumer confidence is at a 17 year high. Further, a recent CNBC poll shows that a majority of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.
Just as Obama famously used his “pen and phone” to greatly increase the power and reach of the regulatory state, Trump is using the same executive authority to roll it back. In 2017, he issued 22 deregulatory actions for every new regulation. WMC specifically applauded him for reversing the unnecessary and job killing expansions to the Waters of the United States Rule and the Clean Power Plan, both of which would have directly, and adversely harmed Wisconsin’s agricultural, and manufacturing dominated economy. And, as a former banking lobbyist who opposed the Dodd Frank Act, I am pleased to see many of its ill-advised provisions repealed, particularly the ones that punished Wisconsin’s community banks and credit unions, neither of which were guilty of the abuses that led to the Great Recession.
The signature economic reform of the Trump Administration, so far, has been the first major federal tax law rewrite since President Reagan in the 1980s.
Trump has been equally impressive on energy, which is the lifeblood of an advanced economy. He wisely replaced Obama’s foolish “keep it in the ground” philosophy with a full embrace of American’s abundant fossil fuel deposits. He has also approved the Keystone XL and Dakota pipelines. As a result, the U.S. is now the world’s top oil producing nation, besting both Russia and Saudi Arabia.
At 35 percent—higher when state taxes are factored in—the U.S. had among the highest corporate rates of any nation.
Wisconsin also owes Trump a debt of gratitude for helping to lure Foxconn to the state. After all, it was Trump, with the help
On the downside, I am very concerned that a trade war caused by Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs could derail the current economic momentum, both nationally and in Wisconsin. Multiple Wisconsin businesses have told me that the increased production costs caused by the tariffs or the counter tariffs must be either absorbed or passed on to their customers. One of Wisconsin’s biggest brands, Harley-Davidson, has said they plan to move some production offshore to avoid the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union. The president reacted to that announcement by bashing the company on Twitter, which is unfortunate. Harley-Davidson is simply doing what it must in order to stay competitive in a global market. That said, the bulk of Trump’s policies have made American businesses more globally competitive and the U.S. economy stronger, which is why 81 percent of Wisconsin business leaders rate the U.S. economy as strong or very strong in WMC’s economic survey. This column first appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Wisconsin Business Voice, a publication of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce.
toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 11
September Social Come See Why Sussex Tool Gets 1 to 2 new Customers A Week With First In Market Technologies
First In Market Our Exclusive Blend Of Premium Way and Hydraulic Oils
On Tuesday, September 25, TDMAW members, partners and sponsors met at Old Time Beer Hall in Germantown for a relaxed evening with friends at the September Social. The weather did not cooperate with our *evening in the beer garden* vision, but attendees made themselves comfortable in the big rustic bar and enjoyed the roaring fire in the stone fireplace and camaraderie of old & new friends. Cheers to TDMAW member Accurate Die Design Software/Logopress3 for sponsoring the drink tickets! The hardy German menu options included pork ribs, sauerbraten or salmon with apple strudel for dessert.
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12 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440 www.TDMAW.org
Federated Insurance
Could There Be A Disaster in Your Future?
P
eople toss around the word “disaster” quite freely these days. Even relatively minor incidents are promoted to disaster status. A missed two-foot putt, a burned dinner, or an uncharged phone battery can all be considered disasters by those affected. But when a true disaster strikes, our reality changes — so does
our concept of the word.
A Real Disaster
The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be more active than historical averages, according to the latest outlook released in mid-May by The Weather Company®. Real disasters come in all types and sizes. Some are huge, like hurricanes; some are smaller, like a flooded basement. But if you’re the one affected by the disaster, size is irrelevant. The impact is devastating and overwhelming. If you’re a business owner, you know the double jeopardy you face from a natural or man-made disaster. It not only affects you personally; it can also damage your business. Your company’s ability to deal with disasters is crucial not only to its future, but also to your community’s resilience. How
will you as an owner react to the challenges that result from a situation that threatens to put you out of business?
Could Your Business Survive?
One useful program available through Federated Insurance is Open for BusinessEZ® (OFB-EZ), a business continuity tool provided by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and designed to help even the smallest business plan for disaster recovery. By using OFB-EZ, you can create and customize a disaster recovery plan today, and have it ready if and when you need it. As your business evolves and you make changes in facilities, personnel, vendors, or operations, you can update your plan, ensuring it’s always accurate and current. Federated clients can access the OFBEZ toolkit through Federated’s Shield Network®. Once you have created your plan, it is wise to save a printed copy in addition to the electronic version. It could be days or even weeks before power or communication systems are repaired after a disaster. Having
a printed copy allows you to implement your plan immediately without having to wait for Internet connections to be restored. The IBHS www.disastersafety.org website is designed to help protect people’s homes and personal assets by creating awareness of the likely perils that can occur in a region. This site’s homepage includes a zip code tool designed to concentrate the efforts of home and business owners in preparing for specific perils like floods, wildfires, and tornadoes, among others. Resources such as best practices, assessments, guides, and checklists are all available to help protect homes and businesses before a disaster hits. Disasters of all types can threaten businesses and homes regardless of location. A community cannot survive a disaster unless businesses survive, and a business cannot survive unless its employees survive. Having a solid disaster plan in place can give you peace of mind and increase the odds of staying open for business should the worst happen.
toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 13
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BotsIQ – it’s not just for boys!
BotsIQ – Making an Impact through Project Based Education Article submitted by John Puhl, Owner of TDMAW member company J. P. Pattern, Inc.
What is BotsIQ? Bots IQ is robotics education program that is a spinoff from the popular BattleBots® TV show. Students build combat type robots and compete against other teams to see who has designed and built the best product. The “Bots” are limited to 15 lbs. and compete head to head in an enclosed arena-much like a boxing match. Between the battles, teams have a minimum of 20 minutes to go the “Pits” and repair or resurrect their bot to compete in the next round. This co-ed program is most popular with high school students, but is also available to middle schools, colleges and other youth organizations. The program requires hands-on building of “Bots”, therefor giving students real life exposure to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, programming, problem solving, fabrication, machining, welding, pneumatics and electronics. Most teams work closely with a local company to help manufacture the parts for their “Bots”. At $500-$1500 per competition year, BotsIQ is a comparatively low cost and affordable robotics program to choose. As
14 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440 www.TDMAW.org
students have learned technical skills. • Some students have become interested in our trades and are currently working for member companies. • Companies have built relationships with their local high schools (building parts, mentoring or providing funding to the teams)
Fun and learning go hand in hand.
a “guideline-based” program, each team builds a custom “Bot”, as opposed to using a purchased competition kit. In general, the program mimics the design and building of real products - Design your product, Test It (battle) and then Improve It. Creating a battle oriented “Bot” is appealing to students and makes for an exciting and entertaining competition to watch.
History In 2006 the TDMAW, along with the National Tooling Machining Association (NTMA), American Mold Builders Association (AMBA) and the four local technical colleges, worked to implement the BotsIQ program in our area. The motivation was to begin to address the loss of tech/shop programs in the local high schools. With no exposure to these skills through the educational process, students were not choosing “trades” as a career path, which has been impacting our industry.
Going Forward After a decade of operation there are areas of strength along with future challenges; • Funding: BotsIQ is a volunteer run, nonprofit organization, operating with very little overhead. TDMAW and other local companies sponsor the competitions, giving great exposure to these businesses. BotsIQ has always run “in the black”, thanks to the support from our industry and community. • School Participation: Through the years the number of schools participating has declined. However, the schools that embrace this program bring multiple teams to competition as they see the positive impact it has on tech-oriented students. • Coaching: Today’s mobile society, tight
BotsIQ teaches teamwork and technical skills.
• 2007: TDMAW member companies join forces to build the enclosed competition arena and the first competition is held. • 2018: Our 28th competition is held. • Over 60 Coaches have been trained at little or no cost to them.
Call for Help Can you Volunteer some time to help in one of these roles? • Promotion: Help make schools aware of the program and how beneficial it is to the students. • Competition Volunteers: Help organize and run the competitions which occur 1-2 times per year. Many hands-on deck make for light work! • Help a Team: Students need help with the construction of their “Bots”. They may need parts made or some funding to purchase the needed components. Maybe your expertise could help them solve a problem.
After competitions we’ve had parents personally thank us for the difference the program has made to their son or daughter. They often tell us how their child had little interest in school until they became involved with the program. The lure to “build a bot that can pummel another bot” is strong. As they pursue the goal of building their combat “Bot “, the desire to win gets them thinking and working and they don’t even realize they’re learning valuable new skills.
The impact is real!
• Hundreds of male and female participating
• Volunteers. The core volunteers continue to be involved because they have seen students lost in “academia” become enlightened through technical skills, finding a new path for their future. Adding new volunteers to this organizational team will enhance the BotsIQ program through fresh insight and innovative ideas.
Positive Impact
TDMAW provided most of the initial funding and administrative support. Eventually BotsIQ - Wisconsin became its own non-profit, self-funded organization. The area technical schools stepped up to train “coaches” (usually high school teachers) in the fundamentals and rules of the “BotsIQ” program.
2006-Present
scheduling and lack of support & funding for extra-curricular school activities has made retaining coaches a challenge. This can result in schools having to drop out. We continue to seek ways to support coaches and schools to minimize this obstacle.
It’s very rewarding to hear about the difference that we’re making in their lives and future careers. As most volunteers will tell you – You get more out of it than you put into it. Please consider how you could impact a student’s life by joining the BotsIQ team. Contact the TDMAW office if you’re interested or want more information: ToolMaker@TDMAW.org
BotsIQ Competition toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 15
Committee Corner This issue we recognize TDMAW Development Committee Chair, Kirk Kussman of Aztalan Engineering.
Press Release October 02, 2018 Contact: Lisa Hagenson Association Risk Management Services Federated Insurance Companies Phone: 507.455.5118 E-mail: lmhagenson@fedins.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
You know Kirk as the 2018 President of TDMAW, but did you know that he also chairs the Development Committee? The Development Committee is a relatively new committee and is responsible for all things education-related, whether it be education of students or education (or development) of members. The Development Committee holds under its umbrella of responsibility: • Technical programming for members • Scholarship • SkillsUSA • BotsIQ Robotics • Apprenticeship • Workforce Development Serving on the committee, along with Kirk, are: Ken Heins of KLH Industries, Al Weiss of Integrity Wire EDM and Wayne Matthiesen of Matzel Manufacturing. If you are interested in getting information about becoming involved on Kirk’s committee, you may contact him at: kkussman@aztalan.com or contact TDMAW Headquarters: ToolMaker@TDMAW.org.
Don’t Let Your Business Go Up In Smoke Fire Prevention Week – October 7-13, 2018 Every year, fires costs business owners billions of dollars—and that number doesn’t even begin to measure the impact fires have on the business itself and the families of employees who are injured or killed by the blaze. National Fire Prevention Week, October 7-13, 2018, is a great reminder that preventing workplace fires is not something to be done yearly, monthly, or even weekly—it should be a daily activity. Investigations reveal that most business fires can be prevented if workers consistently pay attention to a few, very specific hazards. To help you and your employees make it home safely each day, your Federated Insurance team is excited to pro vide a customizable fire prevention checklist you can use to review your business’s fire prevention techniques. (The latest full version of Adobe Reader is required to open and use the customizable checklist.) Made available to all association members through our partnership with Federated, the checklist helps you identify and implement high priority fire prevention practices that can significantly impact your business. It’s designed to also allow businesses to add checkpoints for the unique risks and exposures they face. Scan the QR code above or go to federatedinsurance.com to access the sample checklist and view a video that shows the reality of business fires and discusses the need to make fire safety everyone’s responsibility. Federated clients can find more fire prevention resources by logging on to Federated’s Shield Network®, or contacting Federated’s Risk Management Resource Center at 1.888.333.4949 or riskmanagementmaterials@fedins.com. At Federated Insurance, It’s Our Business to Protect Yours®.
16 | TDMAW HQ (262) 532-2440 www.TDMAW.org
Microsoft Teams: What You Need to Know
Article submitted by TDMAW Partner, SWICKtech
The Basics Teams is Microsoft’s chat tool for professional businesses and organizations. It is the company’s answer to platforms like Slack and HipChat. However, unlike other chat platforms, Teams gives you the ability to do more than send funny memes and office-related GIFs. Teams is designed for work. It integrates directly with Microsoft Office products, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint. For example, if you’re working on an Excel spreadsheet and need to make a change on the fly, you don’t actually have to open an Excel document to make the adjustment. Instead, you can open the file in Teams and make the changes (and receive feedback) in real time. As you make edits, changes are synced with a copy stored in OneDrive, ensuring all team members have access to the latest documents, spreadsheet or presentation. Multiple people can also be editing the same Excel spreadsheet at once! Team’s integrates with more than just the standard Microsoft suite. It also integrates with third-party programs through
Connectors such as; MailChimp, SAP, Facebook, DropBox and more.
so you can stay on top of missed calls even if you’re out of the office.
What Else Can Teams Do?
• Phone Call Encryption: By default, Teams encrypts your phone calls, protecting your data and privacy. No VPN is needed.
Microsoft Teams gives businesses the opportunity for workers, wherever they’re located, to connect and collaborate in real time. • Meetings: Holding a team meeting, hosting a live stream or organizing a conference call? Microsoft Teams, through its Skype integration, can handle your business needs. As an added benefit, Teams works across multiple devices including laptops, tablets, and phones. • Phone Calls: Put your traditional phone down and walk away. With Teams, you can easily make, receive and transfer calls using VoIP technology. Although Teams does not leverage expensive traditional phones, it gives you access to many common features like transferring, holding and forwarding calls. (This means you can also get rid of your traditional phone bill.) Its voicemail system integrates directly with Exchange,
• Enterprise Security and Compliance: Microsoft Teams offers end-to-end security, giving you total control over your environment.
How Do I Get Microsoft Teams? Microsoft Teams is a free add-on for existing Microsoft Office 365 Subscribers. Microsoft Teams is included in every subscription from O365 Business Essentials, Business Premium, E3, and E5. SWICKtech has been completing countless Microsoft Office 365 migration projects for our clients – moving email and office applications in a seamless manner. If you are not on Office 365 yet, contact us today to find out how Office 365 and Teams can improve your productivity and bottom line.
toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 17
Leading the Way in Work-based Learning Article submitted by GPS Education Partners
M
ore businesses today are faced with increasingly complex employment challenges as they look toward their company’s future. Whether it’s an aging workforce, the rising employability gap, or youths just not finding their way to careers in the skilled trades, work must be done to ensure talent pipelines are filled.
GPS Education Partners is a 501c nonprofit organization that uses an innovative education model that partners students with businesses to accelerate technical education through increased exposure to careers in manufacturing. The program started with one business, one high school, and five students. After nearly 20 years, GPS has partnered with more than 100 businesses, 45 schools/school districts, and has graduated almost 700 students across the state of Wisconsin. As an educational product company, GPS is Wisconsin’s only manufacturingspecific, statewide Department of Workforce Development Youth Apprenticeship Program. Our role as the intermediary between education, business, and community partnerships is key to accelerating technical-skilled careers among young student populations. Traditional education models that separate education (Learn) from experience (Work) lack the ability to support the transition of students from high school, to work, to sustainability. GPS offers customized, competency-based training plans that are tailored to capture the specific machines, tools, and processes at a partner’s business, and align them to industry certifications and post-secondary standards; uniquely preparing students to succeed in technical careers, while promoting viability for business. Competency-based training plans allow businesses to define more specific career opportunities that will allow for more meaningful, effective and efficient hiring/training practices. And students benefit by being in control of their professional development as they gain clarity on required skills and knowledge on different career pathways.
A typical student’s day is divided between classroom learning and work-based training delivered through a business partner - the GPS student to teacher ratio averages 15:1. A mentor at the workplace assists students in their day-to-day activities while also teaching life-long skills they can apply far beyond their apprenticeship. GPS students also experience a variety of career pathways in the program through rotations between partner manufacturers. This allows them to explore different work environments and business cultures, and to take on different roles and responsibilities. Students can also emerge as leaders by learning selfawareness, decision-making skills, selfmanagement and team work. They have opportunities to demonstrate those skills in their apprenticeship placement, as well as in the community by participating in service learning projects.
Our model is successful and repeatable, and we firmly believe that by connecting the students and employers of today with the job opportunities and workforce of tomorrow, we will revolutionize how students prepare for a technical career. We will close the skills gap. We will transform lives. If you would like to learn more about GPS Education Partners, visit GPSEd.org
GPS has been leading the way on workbased learning in Wisconsin and is expanding to a nationwide by partnering with smart businesses, educators, and communities across the country to address problems at the national level. By 2025, we would like to see 10,000 students nationwide journey through a GPS workbased learning experience and establish a technical career that shows them their purpose, and provides a pathway to a more meaningful life.
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2018
For more information visit tdmaw.org rs 80 Yea ting C e l e b ra
Partners
Computer Services for Business
Supplies/Full Line
Swick Technologies Gary Swick | (414) 257-9266 www.swicktech.com
Heat Treating ThermTech of Waukesha, Inc. Kirk Springer | (262) 549-1878 www.thermtech.net
Insurance—P&C, Health & Workers Comp Federated Insurance www.federatedinsurance.com
E.L Simeth - Milwaukee Steve Simeth | (414)771-9270 www.elsimeth.com
MSC Industrial Supply Sales | (262) 703-4000 www.metalworking. mscdirect.com Sussex Tool & Supply Sussex Sales | (262) 251-4020 www.sussextool.com
Sponsors Red Level Sponsors
von Briesen & Roper, S. C. Marcus Loden | (608) 661-3962 www.vonbriesen.com
White Level Sponsors Morris Midwest Eric Grob | (414) 586-0450 www.morrismidwest.com
Blue Level Sponsors Alro Specialty Metals Inside Sales | (800) 365-4140 www.alro.com
Citizens Bank John Schmitz I (262) 548-0208 www.citizenbank.com
Bell-Well Sales Co. Tom Schoenecker (262) 781-3670 www.bellwellsales.com
Fox Valley Metrology Kit Krabel | (920) 426-5894 www.foxvalleymetrology.com
Cincinnati Tool Steel Co. Ronald Cincinnati (800) 435-0717 www.cintool.com
Huntington Bank Kyle Haug | (262) 703-3726 www.huntingtonbank.com Lindner & Marsack, S.C. Sally Piefer | (414) 273-3910, www.lindner-marsack.com
Tushaus & Associates LLC Jared Knoke | (414) 774-1031 Ex 245 www.tushauscpa.com
toolmaker@TDMAW.org | 19
W175 N11117 Stonewood Drive Suite 104 Germantown, WI 53022
SAVE THE DATE! TDMAW Members, Partners and Sponsors are invited to Alioto’s Restaurant for dinner and a presentation by Milwaukee Historian John Gurda, Milwaukee: A City Built on Water. Learn about Milwaukee’s use and abuse of Lake Michigan and the rivers that feed into it. Gurda’s new companion book will be for sale, for those looking for last-minute Christmas presents!
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Note: A Member Only business meeting will be held at Alioto’s immediately preceding the dinner meeting to finalize voting for the 2019 Board.
Details and Registration may be found at: https://www.tdmaw.org/Programs