WNC receives donation from TRAK Machine Tools

Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada Collegte

Two new ProtoTrak CNC milling machines donated by Trak Machine Tools will expand machining experiences for students enrolled in Western Nevada College’s Machine Tool Technology program.

WNC Foundation recently accepted a donation from TRAK Machine Tools of Rancho Dominguez, Calif. This equipment addition will help students stay current with the latest technology used by area manufacturers such as The Hamilton Company in Reno and GE in Minden.

“This will help the CNC program, software education and operating CAD-CAM software,” said WNC machine tool instructor David Fulton. “It’ll benefit students advancing technology.”

Richard Leonhard, the creator of the ProtoTRAK product line, and his wife, Marion, donated the two machines to WNC.

“The machine tool industry has been very kind to me and my family,” Richard Leonhard said. “This donation program is our way of giving a little back and promoting manufacturing in the USA.”

The Leonhards also like what WNC’s machine tool technology program is doing for students.

“The curriculum that WNC is teaching in Machine Tool Technology is exactly what Rich and Marion are looking for when selecting a candidate for their donation,” said Tony Brooks, a factory direct representative for TRAK Machine Tools.

JOIN Executive Director Denise Castle said there are 425 available positions for machinists across Northern Nevada as of April 2018. If you are interested in a career in machining, scholarships are available, eliminating the financial barrier.

“Timing could not be more perfect for WNC to put these new machines to work,” said Niki Gladys, executive director of WNC Foundation. “There are now full scholarships available for students who are interested in pursuing machine tooling as a career.”

The new scholarships are available thanks to the generosity of the William N. Pennington Foundation. WNC Foundation is accepting applications from students interested in pursuing machine tooling, automotive, welding and manufacturing. To apply, go to www.wnc.edu/scholarship/apply/.

“WNC is incredibly grateful to the William N. Pennington Foundation and TRAK Machine Tools for their support," Gladys said. "These organizations have provided critical resources as WNC works within our community to overcome local workforce development challenges.”

For information about Machine Tool Technology and other programs visit https://www.wnc.edu/now/. Enroll now for fall classes.