When Xcel Energy employees enter a confined space deep inside a hydroelectric generating unit, safety isn't just a priority. It's a necessity.

Many of the company's hydro facilities are in remote areas where emergency responders may not be able to access. That's why ongoing training is critical. 

"A lot of our hydro facilities are in remote locations," said Seth Mikl, hydro technician with Xcel Energy. "We're trying to further our education so that one day we might be able to save a life." 

For more than a decade, Xcel Energy has partnered with Chippewa Valley Technical College's Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education team to provide customized safety training. Now, that training takes place in CVTC's new Safety Training Center on the Manufacturing and Engineering Campus, a facility designed to provide realistic, hands-on learning experiences. 

"The College exists to provide a skilled workforce for the community," said CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia. "When companies come to us for training, we're fulfilling our mission by developing a skilled workforce and adding value to our communities." 

The Safety Training Center features spaces where employees can practice rescue and safety scenarios in a controlled environment. 

"The new facility is amazing," Mikl said. "The setup they have here provides real-world training instead of making things up as you go." 

For Ben Mosack, operations manager with Xcel Energy, the facility helps transform annual training into practical experience. 

"I wanted our group to become better at confined space rescue," Mosack said. "We hope we never have to use those skills, but if we do, we want to be prepared." 

That hands-on preparation is what sets the training apart. 

"Before, we watched the videos. At CVTC, we actually get to practice," Mosack said. 

The training has also exposed employees to new rescue techniques, equipment and technologies. 

"When we come (to CVTC), we're exposed to newer equipment and better ways to rescue someone or get somebody out of a confined space," Mikl said. "We're constantly learning new techniques, new equipment and new approaches that make our jobs safer and more efficient." 

CVTC's Workforce Solutions model is built on collaboration with employers. 

"We don't take curriculum that already exists and try to make it fit," Beaton-Garcia said. "We listen, customize the training and provide the spaces and information our partners need to be competitive." 

That flexibility was a key reason Xcel Energy chose CVTC as a training partner. 

"We wanted a training partner that was deeply connected to the community, had the expertise to deliver high-quality training and was willing to work with us to develop a program that met our specific needs," said Don Hartinger, senior director, Renewable Generation for Xcel Energy. 

Employers help shape the training experience. For Xcel Energy, safety remains the driving force behind the partnership. 

"Our focus has to be on employees going home at the end of the day as good as, or better than, when they came to work," Hartinger said. "Going home safely to their families is what matters most." 

That commitment resonates with employees like Mikl. 

"Working with CVTC has helped me become a safer employee and make sure I can go home to my family at the end of the day," he said. 

As workforce needs continue to evolve, CVTC remains focused on helping employers stay ahead. 

"The world doesn't stand still," Beaton-Garcia said. "We have to stay ahead of trends so the workforce has the skills employers will need years from now, not just today." 

Whether the need is safety training, leadership development, technology training or workforce upskilling, CVTC's goal remains the same: helping employers build stronger, safer and more skilled teams. 

"We start from a place of yes," Beaton-Garcia said. 

For Xcel Energy, that partnership continues to deliver value. 

"Xcel Energy trains with CVTC because they help us practice the problems we hope we never have," Mosack said.