David Nessler
Graduates of Fox Valley Technical College continue to strengthen our region’s economy according to the college’s latest Graduate Employment Research Report (PDF).
NEWS RELEASE
May 24, 2017
FVTC Graduates Continue to Boost Workforce
Latest graduate employment report reveals promising futures
Oshkosh native David Nessler knew that a technical education would serve as more than just a gateway to a rewarding career. The United States Army veteran of 10 years realized his educational pathway would also help him transition back into civilian life.
Nessler’s double major in Electrical Engineering Technology and Electronic and Communication Engineering Technology (now known as Electronic Engineering Technology) from FVTC helped him earn a new career starting in June with the Canadian Pacific Railroad in La Crosse.
“I worked in electronics while serving in the Army and wanted to take another step toward something more in the field,” says the 32-year-old. “I set goals on what I wanted to do after military duty, and now I’m eager to establish new ones in my role with Canadian Pacific. It will be rewarding to work on communication systems as an electronics technician.”
Nessler credits FVTC with more than just preparing him for a new career. “My instructors made me feel like a peer and I was always referred to by first name—quite a change from structured life in the military,” he adds. “The relationships at Fox Valley Tech helped me develop civilian life skills and a commitment to lifelong learning.”
Like Nessler, earning a career as a result of attending FVTC continues to define success for the college’s graduates. FVTC’s latest graduate reporting data cites a second straight year of 94% graduate employment based on the class of 2016, college wide. The college surveys its alumni six months after graduation each year, in addition to interviewing graduates five years after finishing at FVTC to ascertain a snapshot of their career pathway.
According to the report, FVTC graduates who’ve been in the workforce for five years are earning an average salary of more than $48,000 a year. That salary represents a 45% increase from when this same pool of graduates left FVTC with academic degrees in 2011.
The same report reveals a record 62 academic programs at 100% graduate employment at FVTC. The Computer Support Specialist associate degree is one such offering where every graduate from a specific program earned a career. That was the case for 22-year-old Erik Moline.
“Fox Valley Tech’s new IT Center gave me the tools to help other students while working in the Student Help Desk Lab, and that experience prepared me for a new job as an information security analyst at Thrivent Financial,” notes the Oshkosh native and graduate of FVTC’s Help Desk Support Specialist program. “This industry is full of great opportunities for anyone who loves working with computers and computer systems.”
Wisconsin TechConnect, a statewide online system of employment opportunities and resources for students and graduates of Wisconsin’s 16 technical colleges, cites an average of 18 full-time job postings per month in the region for graduates with Moline’s skills.
