Portrait of a Futuremaker: Interviewing manufacturing student/Student Government President Justin Wh
The following is the result of an interview with Justin Wheelock, who epitomizes the concept of what we at Wisconsin’s Technical Colleges call a “Futuremaker.” He is surely destined for great things, and he’s in it not just for himself but for his community. Using his brain power for a greater good, he is actively advocating for his fellow students and Wisconsin residents. Justin is currently the Wisconsin Student Government (WSG) President, attending Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay and expects to graduate in December of 2011. Study

Wisconsin’s Tech Colleges receive funds to expand innovative programs
Three of Wisconsin’s technical colleges will be receiving more than $1.3 million in federal grants to help working adults and displaced workers.  The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that Gateway Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and Milwaukee Area Technical College are receiving the money to build skills in high-growth occupations. Wisconsin is receiving nearly 12 percent of the $11 million in special competition grants, compared with the two percent of federal funding typically distributed to t

Report cites Wisconsin technical colleges’ vital role in state’s economy
Wisconsin’s technical colleges will play a vital role in ensuring that employers have the skilled workers they’ll need in the coming years, according to a new national report. Demand in Wisconsin for highly-skilled technical and trade workers will spike as baby boomers retire and the number of high school graduates declines, trends obscured by the current recession. Wisconsin’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs was released today by The Workforce Alliance, a national coalition of community-based organizations, community and technical colleges, labor unions, business leaders and local officials. Part of the national Skills2Compete campaign

Technical colleges meeting more students’ needs than ever
WTCS enrollment trends over the past decade. (NOTE: 2009-10 enrollments estimated as of September 2009. An FTE equals 30 credits of enrollment. Since the majority of WTCS students attend part-time, a ty

Helping dislocated workers much like grief counseling
A Western Technical College counselor describes the the effects of job loss as being very much like losing a limb. With major layoffs taking place around some of Wisconsin’s biggest employers including Harley-Davidson, General Motors and Briggs & Stratton, Wisconsin’s Technical Colleges help provide job placement services, resume writing tips and of course career and technical education to help people get back into relevant jobs.