Great Dane, area schools partner to meet local labor needs

While Great Dane's Kewanee plant has pivoted to find short-term solutions for filling welder and other positions during unprecedented economic challenges of the past two years, it also has improved its long game by forming partnerships with local schools.

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Many of its new employees have been trained at the Blackhawk College Welding and Skilled Trades Center in Kewanee and company officials are promoting the welding trade by partnering with local high school trades-based programs.

"Great Dane maintains a strong working relationship with Black Hawk College and the local high schools," said Kewanee plant manager Derek Dunlap. "Black Hawk advertises Great Dane’s openings, providing space and time for interviews with students. They also provide welding skills training to approximately 30 employees."

That training is done at Kewanee's Welding and Skilled Trades Center, built to help serve the local labor market, which includes Greant Dane, the area's largest manufacturer and employer with around 600 employees.

Kewanee Dist. 229 Supt. Chris Sullens said the district is part of that tri-level partnership as the district moves to expand its own welding and trades program, which will include a newly renovated space designed for that purpose. The expansion was made possible with the creation of the district's new ag wing, also built to meet local job market needs.

"Great Dane has been such a great supporter," Sullens said. "They've donated cash and materials to our shool district, like welding wire and other needed materials."

The partnership not only prepares students with real-world skills they can use anywhere, it also will serve as a potential pipeline for Great Dane job recruits. Blackhawk and Great Dane have sponsored welding competitions for high school students to increase the trade's profile and Kewanee's new welding area carries the Great Dane name in a nod to the sponsorship.

"Right now we're trying to get our kids certified (in welding) taking dual credit courses with Blackhawk," Sullens said, therefore rounding out the partnership.

More:Dist. 229 to create more space with storage addition, welding expansion

Dunlap said company officials also give high school groups tours of the facility, "where they can examine and explore the exciting employment opportunities at Great Dane."

While the company is "a strong advocate of Kewanee High School," it has plans to partner with other area schools moving forward.

"This year, Great Dane has also started developing relationships with Wethersfield, Bureau Valley and Stark County high schools," Dunlap said, "with the goal of helping those schools develop their vocational programs and exposure to career opportunities Great Dane has to offer."

More:At Kewanee High School, these little piggies are part of a growing ag classroom

Great Dane says it has done a lot since the pandemic to offer better pay and benefits and to change its work culture to one more focused on employee needs and long-term stability.

And Kewanee plant officials say they have seen hiring success this year because of the combination of those efforts, but the economic conditions, including those affecting supply chains. haven't changed much since the Star Courier featured the plant's hiring and retention efforts this spring.

More:This KHS graduate got paid to learn construction trade skills at Blackhawk College

"The labor market has remained largely unchanged from the beginning of the year," said Derek Dunlap, the Kewanee plant manager. "We continue to hire for a range of positions. We are adding to our team and encourage anyone who wants to learn more about career opportunities at the plant to visit (the website)."

Company officials declined to comment on how any jobs have been added this year, how many they hope to hire in the near future or whether there are plans to expand. Peak production capacity at the 250,000 square foot facility is over 700 units per month, specializing in Great Dane's 28-foot pup trailer.

They say the demand for Great Dane trailers continues to be strong.

"We have seen a steady demand for our transportation solutions, from our trailers and truck bodies to aftermarket services and telematics," Dunlap said. "While supply chain disruptions have made materials significantly more difficult to acquire across most industries, we remain committed to producing quality transportation solutions."

This article originally appeared on Star Courier: Great Dane, local schools partner to meet local labor needs