NORFOLK, Neb. – Students at Northeast Community College will have increased financial support as they pursue manufacturing education and training.
The Gene Haas Foundation has awarded Northeast $12,500 in grants to support student scholarships and machining and manufacturing engineering program needs. The funds will be used for their manufacturing program.
Since 2015, the program has received annual grants from the Gene Haas Foundation, bringing its total received to $75,000. Chuck Wiley and Hope Riska from Productivity Inc, the local Haas Factory Outlet in Omaha, recently delivered the BIG check. Students receiving scholarship support for the 2024-2025 academic year are Ean Goodrich, Fremont, Jackson Mazuch, Norfolk, Blake Nun, Geneva, Landon Oestreich, Pierce, Nicholas Peterson, Jackson, Minn., Kaden Sukup, Norfolk, and Dru Truax, Lexington.
Through classroom instruction and hands-on lab experiences, students in the Manufacturing and Machining Automation program at Northeast gain highly valuable knowledge and skills in welding, fabrication, precision measurement, machining, and operation and programming of computerized manufacturing technologies including computer numerical control (CNC) and industrial robotics.
Additionally, students may earn industry recognized credentials while learning about industrial safety, maintenance, quality, equipment operations, and leadership. Graduates are prepared to work in middle-skilled positions in a wide variety of manufacturing environments.
“Northeast Community College is very active with local manufacturing companies and high schools helping to keep the pipeline of manufacturing going with graduates from our program,” said Brad Ranslem, dean of Applied Technology.
The Gene Haas Foundation’s primary goal is to build skills in the manufacturing industry by providing scholarships for CNC machine technology students. For high schools, a portion of the funds may also be used to support the school’s participation in student competitions such as FIRST or VEX Robotics, SkillsUSA and Supermileage programs that highlight their manufacturing programs.
The Gene Haas Foundation was established in 1999 by Haas Automation, Inc., founder and CEO Gene Haas to support the needs of the local community, through grants to such local charities as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Food Share, Rescue Mission, and others.
Seeing a growing need for skilled manufacturing employees across the industry, the Foundation expanded its mission to include support for manufacturing training programs throughout North America and beyond.
By providing scholarship grants, sponsoring individual and team CNC competitions, and partnering with the very best CNC training programs in the world, the Foundation helps expand the availability of high-quality manufacturing technology training worldwide.
The Gene Haas Foundation donates millions of dollars every year to manufacturing education and the community. Since 1999, the Gene Haas Foundation has provided more than $175 million in grants and sponsorships.
“I am very appreciative of the support from the Gene Haas Foundation. Not only does it ease the cost of tuition and books, but it also shows that there is a need for skilled machinists in today’s industry,” said Machining and Manufacturing Automation Instructor Brandon Sohl. “This program sets students up with a solid foundation to become master trades people in an industry in dire need of those skills. The Gene Haas Foundation recognizes this and, through their award, helps get our students the education they need to succeed in industry.”
Northeast Community College offers several scholarships thanks to generous individuals, foundations, organizations, and businesses. More information on applying for scholarships is available at northeast.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships/scholarships.
The application final deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is September 15, 2025. Contact the Financial Aid Office with questions at 402-844-7285.
Big Check
Present from the local Haas Factory Outlet were Chuck Wiley and Hope Riska who delivered a BIG check from the Gene Haas Foundation to Northeast Community College and to students in the College’s Machining and Manufacturing Automation program. This is the seventh year the foundation has donated funds to the program bringing the total to $75,000. The funds will be used to provide scholarships to students enrolled in Machining and Manufacturing Automation. Pictured (from left) are John Liewer, associate dean of applied technology at Northeast; Ean Goodrich, Fremont, Blake Nun, Geneva, Landon Oestreich, Pierce, students; Brandon Wilber-Sohl, Machining and Manufacturing automation instructor at Northeast; Dru Truax, Lexington, Kaden Sukup, Norfolk, Jackson Mazuch, Norfolk, students; and Brad Ranslem, dean of applied technology at Northeast. Nicholas Peterson, Jackson, Minn., also was awarded scholarship support, but is not shown. (Northeast Community College)
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