CRYSTAL LAKE – Flipping through a stack of résumés several years ago to find qualified hires, manufacturing supervisor Dan Puckett realized that he needed more education if he wanted to make more money.

The Crystal Lake resident enrolled in McHenry County College’s Fast Track program to get an associate degree in manufacturing management.

Puckett, a supervisor at Chicago Cutting Die in Northbrook, was able to earn promotions and raises while working toward his degree. He went from managing one department to overseeing three.