MJE Joins Forces with Local Schools

Montezuma, KS—MJE Livestock Equipment and MJE, LLC, are thrilled to partner with two local school districts to encourage students to take welding classes. For the 2023-2024 school year, the supplemental fees usually charged to students in Welding classes at South Gray High School in Montezuma and Sublette High School in Sublette will be fully covered by MJE.

“As parents, we understand that special interest classes come at a cost to families, “says Chief Operations Officer Heather Jantz. She adds, “MJE and MJE Livestock Equipment want to ease the financial burden on students interested in developing skills that may one day lead to a career in manufacturing and construction. If we can ease that burden for them, it’s a small but impactful way to get kids interested in the Ag Industry.” 

The only thing MJE asks in return for covering these fees is that the students take a tour of MJE Livestock Equipment sometime during the school year. The goal is to encourage students to pursue careers with a big impact and are widely available in the local job market. 

Skilled Employees for the Future

Shannon Coleman, HR Director for MJE, states, “We are always looking for skilled employees for our businesses and love hiring from the area. Rural Kansas isn’t for everyone, and people who grow up here and choose to live their lives and raise their families understand the appeal of living in rural communities.” She says, “MJE isn’t just a business – it’s a community of over 200 people working together to grow the Ag industry. ” 

Sublette High School offers three welding classes for its high school student body. Classroom instructor Ms. Elizabeth Meyer leads SHS classes. Ms. Meyer leads the way for the SW Kansas Regional FFA Chapter and loves teaching safety measures and simple welds to the Sublette Welding I class. She also enjoys working on more complex welds and welding projects with her Welding II class.

Small Towns with Big Impacts

Principal Bobby Murphy says, “USD 374 Sublette is blessed to partner with a company like MJE that knows the value of investing in our students that wish to pursue technical educational careers.”

“Welding programs are expensive for a school district to provide. Scholarship programs from MJE LE will take a burden off of the school and parents. Students will now have the chance to explore a career they might have missed because of financial hardship, “says welding instructor Grant Salmans of South Gray High School.   

Students at South Gray get experience in the following: 

• shielded metal arc welding, 
• metal inert gas welding, 
• tungsten inert gas welding, 
• Oxyacetylene gas torching, 
• and plasma arc cutting. 

“Historically, the program has been based in agricultural equipment repair, but with local manufacturing partnerships needing skilled workers, our program will continue to grow in manufacturing skills.” says instructor Grant Salmans.

“Our ultimate goal has always been to grow our own workforce. We differentiate ourselves in the job market by offering scholarship incentives for students looking to grow their skill set and become integral parts of our team,” explains Jantz. 

MJE Livestock Equipment and MJE, LLC genuinely support our local communities. In cooperation with several other rural business leaders, MJE continues to engage in activities to promote rural education and workforce development.  

Heather Jantz expresses her excitement about the new partnerships, stating, “We can’t wait for employees to come knocking on our door. We look for new and innovative ways to bring them in. Local students are the future of MJE!” 

Read more on our blog

If you’re looking to learn more about how MJE and MJE Livestock Equipment are working to help grow and develop the skills of potential future employees you can read more our blog.