Manufacturing Spotlight: 2025 AST Graduate Dan Beck

“I decided to take a leap of faith mid-career, do a career change and go to WCTC." -- Dan Beck, 2025 Automation Systems Technology grad

For Dan Beck, a 2025 graduate of WCTC’s Automation Systems Technology (AST) associate degree program, life has always been about service and a passion for technology – even if his career path hasn't gone in a straight line.

He spent many years working in information technology (IT) roles, as well as serving as a firefighter/EMT. However, Beck's aspirations of becoming a full-time firefighter or a tech mogul hit a few roadblocks. A spinal cord issue made the physical demands of full-time firefighting difficult, and a web startup didn't pan out.

Yet, he held onto a longtime passion for automation and manufacturing. Thinking his IT background would pair well with these fields, he enrolled in WCTC’s AST program.

“I decided to take a leap of faith mid-career, do a career change and go to WCTC,” said Beck, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a focus on computer systems.

His hard work in the program ultimately paid off. Beck recently graduated last May with distinction, and he also landed a role as a senior automation technician at Husco International – while still a student.

The Inspiring Career Factory Capstone Project

Beck’s commitment to service was deepened by personal tragedy. A few years ago, his nephew passed away unexpectedly, having succumbed to overwhelming personal challenges. As a first responder at the time, Beck remembers the sense of helplessness he felt, and he drew on this when shaping his final capstone project.

Beck and his classmate Tony Stalewski wanted a challenge that would truly prepare them for complex, real-world automation. He also saw it as a chance to make a difference -- to create something that could inspire hope and point others toward fulfilling careers.

The result was the Career Factory, a complex, working robotic cell designed to manufacture three unique action figures – all bearing inspirational wording -- that highlight careers accessible through WCTC. This includes a firefighter (You Got This!), a robot (Imagine), and a welder (Create).

The goal, Beck said, was to give children and adults a memento as a reminder to pursue their dreams, never give up and realize “anything is possible if you put in the hard work,” he said.

Beck and Stalewski designed the entire machine from the ground up, complete with sensors, pneumatics, robotics, a programmable logic controller and human machine interfaces.

Beck even had to upgrade his home 3D printer to run 24 hours a day to produce the large volume of figures needed to share with visitors at an open house and an exhibit at Discovery World. The finished figures are assembled by the robot, lifted by an elevator and pushed down a slide for retrieval.

The experience of building the Career Factory was challenging and complex, yet rewarding, Beck said, and he’s hoping new figures can be added into the mix.

“(Tony) and I hope that the Career Factory automation project we built can be expanded into additional career characters (such as a chef, cosmetologist, nurse and others) and hope to encourage adults not to give up, pursue their dreams and get into the trades.”