College of Western Idaho (CWI) is helping strengthen Idaho's manufacturing workforce through a new partnership with Mission Critical Group (MCG), formerly Johnson Thermal Systems, providing customized welding training designed to meet the company's growing workforce needs in Canyon County.
The company reached out to CWI at the end of 2025 to explore custom training opportunities through the Welding and Metals Fabrication program that would prepare employees with the specialized skills needed to support their continued growth.
Through months of collaboration, CWI staff and faculty, together with MCG developed a three-week training program tailored to the company's welding quality and acceptance standards.
"Our Upskilling Welding Program, in partnership with CWI, is about creating opportunities for our employees while building the skilled workforce MCG needs for the future,” said Matthew Thomsen, Senior Manager of Workforce Development and Education Partnerships for MCG. “Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience, employees strengthen their technical expertise, improve consistency and quality, and continue advancing their careers. By investing in our people, we're not only developing the next generation of skilled professionals, we're building a culture of continuous learning that helps make MCG an employer of choice and supports long-term success for both our employees and our business."
Participants receive three weeks of training at Nampa Campus Micron Education Center (NMEC), consisting of 30 hours of classroom instruction and hands-on lab experience focused on welding theory and practical application. Topics include blueprint reading, welding symbols, stringer beads, butt welds, fillet welds, weld repairs, assembly welding, and other techniques customized to MCG’s production standards.
The training is led by Manufacturing Department Chair, Mike Wheeler, and Welding Shop Assistant, Kifer Fugate, who work alongside participants throughout the three-week program.
“My experience with MCG employees exceeded my expectations by a mile,” said Wheeler. “I have rarely met a more professional, focused and conscientious team in my career, both in the workforce and in education. I told the group that if I was still running a fabrication shop, I would hire every one of them. It speaks volumes of MCG that they have these exceptional employees and are willing to pay them to be off-line to up-skill them. It shows an employer with long term goals centered around a highly skilled and motivated workforce and focused on continuous improvement at all levels.”
Participants completed the training while continuing to earn wages, allowing employees to build new skills without stepping away from their careers.
Three cohorts of 12 employees from MCG will go through the program this summer.
For MCG, the training is helping employees develop the welding skills needed to meet the company's standards. For CWI, it is another example of how working directly with employers creates training that supports Idaho's workforce.
“MCG has been fantastic to work with throughout the entire process, maintaining open lines of communication so we can collectively build out this training and hit the desired outcomes for the participants and the company,” said Noé Zepeda, CWI’s Business Development Manager for Professional and Custom Training. “You can feel the energy in the classroom and in the lab, participants are asking questions, looking motivated, and building camaraderie with one another. It’s been amazing watching this project come together, from initial conversations to now seeing welders improving their craft, and in turn, open new doors for themselves professionally and personally.”
As Idaho employers continue to face evolving workforce demands, CWI partners with businesses across industries to develop customized training that addresses unique organizational goals. Whether upskilling current employees, improving retention, or preparing teams for new technologies and processes, CWI collaborates with employers to design flexible, industry-specific training that strengthens both employees and organizations.
Learn more about CWI’s Customized Training or contact the Professional and Custom Training team at pact@cwi.edu to start a conversation.
