On Jan. 30, students at West Chicago Community High School were given the opportunity to learn more about potential careers when Ditch Witch Midwest visited the campus as part of the den speaker series launched last year. 

During the presentation, speakers Kevin Riddens, director at Ditch Witch Midwest, and Joe Stevenson, a shop coordinator with the company, discussed what Ditch Witch has to offer students interested in construction and the equipment industry. 

“Hopefully it will open the door and let students know there are options out there,” Riddens said.

Ditch Witch offers in-house training as well as opportunities through technical schools such as Universal Technical Institute (UTI), with a focus on construction equipment.

According to Riddens, the company works primarily with diesel-powered machinery, which differs from the gas-focused training offered at many technical colleges.

“If we didn’t do what we do, you wouldn’t have electricity, gas, or water,” Riddens said.

Ditch Witch has been in operation for the past 55 years and has locations across the Midwest, including West Chicago. 

“You can go straight to work, or you can go through a technical school,” Stevenson said.

The den speaker series is designed to expose students to a variety of career paths, including those that do not require a traditional four-year college degree. Many careers have been showcased in these speaker events as well, such as physical therapy, realty, police work, and skilled trades. 

Some people may not see the value in the den speaker series.

West Chicago Community High School Division Head of Career and Technical Education Nick Kempski encourages students to attend these events when given the opportunity, noting that the goal is not only to find interests, but also to rule them out.

“It is just as valuable for students to learn what they are not interested in as it is for them to learn what they are interested in,” Kempski said. “Come to as many career speakers as possible and find out if it is something you want to explore more, or something you are not interested in at all.” 

WEGO continues to offer many different opportunities and events that allow students to explore what they want to pursue in the future.