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Resources for Careers in Transportation
Wisconsin Youth Options
Learn about Wisconsin's youth options
program which allows public high school juniors and seniors who meet certain
requirements to take postsecondary courses at a UW institution, a Wisconsin
technical college, one of the state's participating private nonprofit
institutions of higher education, or tribally-controlled colleges. Approved
courses count toward high school graduation and college credit. The program
opens the door to greater learning opportunities for motivated students
considering a technical career, wishing to begin college early, or preparing
themselves to enter the workforce immediately after high school graduation.
www.dpi.wi.gov/youthoptions
Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship
Obtain guidance on the Wisconsin's
Youth Apprenticeship Program - part of a statewide School-to-Work initiative. It
is designed for high school students who want hands on learning in an
occupational area at a worksite along with classroom instruction. This one or
two year elective program combines academic and technical instruction with
mentored on-the-job learning.
www.dwd.wisconsin.gov/youthapprenticeship
Wisconsin Career Pathways
Explore career clusters and pathways and discover opportunities for seamless
education. This site focuses on high skill, high demand, and high wage careers.
You can build a program of study on the website by contacting your local
technical college's Tech Prep Coordinator to obtain a user name and password.
Contact information is available on the website.
https://dpi.wi.gov/cte/career-development/career-clusters/pathways
O*NET
The tool for career exploration and job analysis!
O*NET has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers,
workforce development and HR professionals, students, and researchers.
Browse
groups of similar occupations to explore careers. Choose from industry, field of
work, science area, and more.
Focus on
occupations that use a specific tool or software. Explore occupations that need
your skills.
http://www.onetonline.org/
Greenheck
Everest Transition Academy Helps Students Discover What Is Possible
Michelle
Rothmeyer
Coordinator
of Communications
D.C.
Everest Area School District
After months
of preparation, brainstorming, and a good faith effort to define and prepare for
all the “what ifs” — the Greenheck Everest Transition (GET) Academy was launched
in September 2021. The GET Academy is a collaborative
program between the D.C. Everest Area School District and Greenheck Group (GG), a
local manufacturer, in conjunction with
Northern Valley Industries that provides 18- to 21-year-old young adults
with disabilities the opportunity to gain paid, hands-on work experience. The
program is designed to help students explore career paths while gaining critical
experience that will help them transition to paid employment in the broader
workforce.
The GET
Academy is basically structured as follows. Students follow the D.C. Everest
Senior High academic calendar, observing the same holidays, in-service days, and
inclement weather days. During the first semester, students spend a portion of
their day learning valuable employability skills in an on-site classroom
setting, then explore their career interests by job shadowing at GG. Based on
their interests, students apply to and interview for 2 - 3 possible rotations.
Students are selected for one rotation after interviewing and then begin their
first 14-week on-site paid work experience. This process is repeated at the
start of the second semester.
All of the
students who graduated from last year’s inaugural class are employed. The
success of the GET Academy can be attributed to the thoughtful planning,
continuous communication and collaboration, and dedicated mentoring and
transitional support provided by all those involved.
When the DCE
Special Education department began brainstorming how they could provide students
with a work-based learning experience, they focused on constructing a program
that not only immersed students within the work environment, but provided them
with a support network that set them up for success. “We knew it wasn’t enough
to simply find a suitable work environment for our students and supplement it
with classroom training,” notes DCE Director of Special Education Julie Weller.
“We had to identify a company whose work culture would support student
mentorship and an organization with the experience and tools to operationalize
the concept.” DCE began collaborating with Northern Valley Industries (NVI), a
non-profit business and human service agency dedicated to providing individuals
with disabilities opportunities for employment and transitional services. Both
entities settled on GG as the ideal partner for providing work experience — they
have developed a 57-year relationship with NVI and supported the DCE district
with assorted job shadowing, internship, apprenticeship, and mentoring
opportunities for years.
When asked if
the GET Academy could exist without any of the three organizations, every
respondent agreed: no, it could not. “NVI has the resources and experience
schools and businesses can use. We serve as the employer of record and provide
job development and long-term transitional support,” notes Sherri Waid, NVI
President. GG provides the critical
work experience and mentors. And DCE identifies GET Academy participants and
provides the student wages and a specialized instructor to work one-on-one with
students.
“Our role is
to provide a work environment for GET participants that allows them to get a
real world experience and we mimic a regular employment situation as much as we
can,” Monica Kummerfeldt, Recruiting Manager for GG, shares. “We created roles
within the organization that were appropriate and suited to the students’
abilities,” she adds, and the HR team partnered with the union to carve out
part-time, first-shift positions for the students so they could work with and be
mentored by the most experienced employees. Human Resources Manager, Danille
Bump, has taken a leadership role communicating with internal teams and
supervisors to get the work environment, mentors, and employees prepared to work
with the students. One of the most critical pieces, according to Kummerfeldt, is
“making certain our mentors are fully on board and committed. We identify
leaders who are passionate about mentoring students and who have the interest
and ability to spend time with the student. We also ensure we have a backup
mentor in place for when that person isn’t available.”
At the start
of the semester, students tour the facilities to get a feel for the actual work
environment and the people they would work with. “This helps them determine what
their interests are and to consider the noise levels or other things in the
environment they may not be comfortable with,” clarifies Kummerfeldt.
Simultaneously, Sue Schlinkmann, GET Academy Teacher and Transition Liaison,
works with students in an on-site classroom to develop their resumé, interview,
and job skills — focusing on what they need to do to gain and maintain
employment. As their case manager, Schlinkmann works closely with each student
to develop and help them meet their transition goals and develop personal
independence. One of the biggest challenges, she notes, is that each class of
students has different needs, abilities, and personalities. “We need to take
that into account when teaching job placement and basic life skills for our
students and make the classroom lessons and setting unique to their needs.” Last
year, for example, none of her students were prepared to get their driver’s
license but this year she has students who are. Recently, she accompanied a
student to the Department of Motor Vehicles and advocated on his behalf to
ensure he received the accommodations he was entitled to when taking the
driver’s test. “His goal is to gain full-time employment, earn enough money to
purchase a car, and become independent. My goal is to help him accomplish that,”
she adds. She also helps students navigate other transitional skills such as
planning their meals and grocery shopping.
Once the
students are hired, they join GG’s regular new hire orientation. They also take
part in a small-group, four-day hands-on manufacturing training. Throughout
their 14-week work experience students are mentored, guided, and supported by a
network of individuals, including NVI and DCE job coaches and GG department
supervisors, employees, and mentors. Amy Dettman, NVI Transition Youth Program
Coordinator, serves as the communication liaison between DCE, NVI, and Greenheck
Group providing consistent updates and hosting monthly team meetings. Her role
is to operationalize the day-to-day experiences for students and to ensure they
have what they need — everything from job coaching to transportation. She also
coordinates long-term transitional services. GET students are treated like
regular employees so if there is a behavioral, work quality, or attendance issue
they are held to an equal level of responsibility as their peers. Dettman and
Schlinkmann also turn these moments into learning situations for the students.
Now in its
second year, the GET Academy has made some adjustments based on feedback from
the students, employees, and mentors. “This was new to all of us,” observes
Kummerfeldt. “There were a lot of questions and ‘what ifs,’ and we knew we
wouldn't be able to figure it out until we were faced with them.” Last year,
they discovered it was challenging for participants to go from a 5-hour work day
to an 8- hour workday so this year students transition through three work
phases. As they show progression, their workday hours increase and they are
rewarded for their successes with an incremental pay increase. In addition, the
job skills lessons are now held on-site at GG rather than a DCE classroom to
better integrate the learning piece with a work-based setting. Students also end
their days participating in the “Move to Manufacturing” online course that
provides basic manufacturing skills training and will help students earn a
certificate that differentiates them from their peers. The program also has
initiated more career-focused conversations with the students and their families
earlier and throughout the process because as the students develop their skills
and demonstrate their preparedness for full-time employment, “We want them to go
for it,” adds Schlinkmann.
The program
also has further developed the mentoring process. “The most important thing is
that students have a go-to person,” states Schlinkmann. “I’m there to support
them, but I don’t know how to assemble a louver — they can’t learn that from
me.” Further, students and mentors develop significant social relationships.
“Students have received personal gifts from employees, we celebrate their
birthdays and their graduation from the program — we make sure they’re part of
the organization and we take joy from working with them,” adds Kummerfeldt.
Beyond gaining critical work skills, the sense of being a part of something is
perhaps even more significant.
As
manufacturing businesses continue to face hiring challenges, the success of the
GET Academy has DCE, GG, and NVI considering the possibilities of growing the
model. “Right now, businesses have the opportunity to get creative, shift their
thinking, and consider different populations like at-risk youth as potential
employees.” Kummerfeldt agrees. “The GET Academy has made me think about other
groups who would benefit from these opportunities and may need a head start.”
Concludes Schlinkmann, “Our students’ success here or at any other business
makes them realize they can do more. It gives them some confidence, allows them
to be a part of something bigger, and changes their whole outlook because they
can see what’s possible.” Ultimately, a work-based learning model that expands
the realm of possibilities for young people is beneficial across the board for
schools, students, families, communities, and businesses.
https://www.dce.k12.wi.us/
Fab-ulous news: Big Foot High School, Fontana Elementary receive joint $32,399
WEDC grant to update, expand fab lab facilities
By
Eric Johnson for the Lake Geneva Regional News
Reprinted with permission
Area
students in two local school districts will have more cutting-edge technology
for learning 21st Century workforce skills when they return to school this fall.
The Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation (WEDC) announced May 18 that Fontana Joint 8 School
District and Big Foot Union High School will receive a $32,399 state grant to
expand the facilities in their existing fabrication laboratory, or “fab lab,” to
better equip students with essential skills for the global economy.
Fontana Elementary
enrolls around 200 students, and Big Foot around 500.
“Anytime we can get new
and updated technology into our student’s hands, it just helps them be more
prepared for the next level of the workforce,” said Jeremy Andersen, Big Foot’s
principal since 2020. “These materials change so fast that we want to try to
stay as up-to-date as possible, so it’s really exciting for our kids to be able
to have most industry-ready materials in their hands for practice and learning.
It (fab lab) is a great exploratory. It’s a wide-open field. I’m amazed most
days at what they’re doing.”
Big Foot’s portion of
the grant is around $25,000, according to Andersen. Big Foot will be adding a
Formlab Form 3L large format 3D digital printer and associated equipment.
Including Fontana and
Big Foot, 21 school districts throughout the state are being awarded a total of
$508,030 in Fab Lab grants this year.
“We are excited to be
able to build upon what we were able to acquire last year, the first year of our
new Fab Lab,” said Fontana district administrator Mark Wenzel. “We appreciate
the financial assistance from the WEDC. Our students will be able to be provided
hands-on experiences in 21st Century technology skills.”
Fontana fab lab
Fontana Elementary
School principal Steve Torrez said a grant awarded last spring funded a
reconfiguration and resign of the school library for the 2021-2022 school year
to add a fab lab featuring 3D printers, laser cutters and “greater access to
greater technology for the kids.”
The fab lab is under
the direction of librarian and 21st Century coordinator Annelise Gutierrez.
Torrez said an
Elkhorn-based furniture manufacturer assisted Fontana Joint 8 School District
with writing last year’s grant and later assisted the school with the redesign
of the library space for the fab lab facility. The firm also assisted with the
purchase and set-up of fab lab design software and equipment including 3D
printers and laser cutters, as well as professional development for school staff
involved with the fab lab.
Among the
cross-curricular connections to arise out of the fab lab, Torrez noted, is use
of the fab lab for art applications, including educational decorative wall
designs for the pre-school area and the creation of t-shirt apparel for band,
sports and other groups.
Other technology offerings at Fontana
Elementary School, Torrez said, includes the school’s drone club and a
curriculum expansion partnership with the local technical college in areas
including drone flight, 3D design, CAD software, and career and college
readiness.
The recently-announced
shared grant award for the 2022-2023 school year, Torrez said, came out of a
“partnership with Big Foot to expand and allow some connection from middle
school into high school.”
“That will hopefully
expand not only the opportunities for our kids, but also carry over what they
learned here into high school and beyond,” he noted.
Part of Fontana Elementary School’s fab
lab technology expansion, Torrez said, is student exposure to green energy
engineering and future STEM employment opportunities through the school’s
collaboration with Lake Geneva-based commercial and industrial solar developer
which installed a small rooftop solar array at the school in April.
“The array of
opportunities and employment that come with solar is diverse,” Torrez said.
“It’s not just green energy and solar, it’s engineering, it’s construction, it’s
developing, it’s building, it’s typography. We’re just trying to layer-up and
expose kids to multi-multi-faceted opportunities that come with it.”
The solar developer’s president John
Kivlin said development of the small solar array at Fontana Elementary School
had its roots in several years of discussions with Torrez.
“We donated part of the
array, with a grant from the state for part of the array and the balance the
school has agreed to pay,” he noted. “It was a collaborative one third, one
third, one third share. Living here in the community, it’s a good opportunity to
give a little something back.”
Kivlin said the “small
demonstration system” solar array will provide educators with monitoring and
performance data to explain how solar works and allow students to see real-time
performance.
“There’s some good
opportunities for the kids to look at it and form questions of their own that
will lead to who knows what,” Kivlin said.
“Scientists and
engineers of the future,” Torrez replied.
“Or
in the present,” Kivlin said.
Big Foot fab
lab
Development of the
fabrication laboratory at Big Foot High School was spearheaded by retired
11-year principal Mike Hinske, a veteran 38-year Big Foot educator.
Hinske, who retired in
June 2018, successfully wrote for a grant to establish a fab lab at Big Foot in
the 2014-15 school year, and later worked on securing the high tech equipment
required for outfitting the new facility, establishing its engineering
curriculum, and putting a SolidWorks computer-aided design and engineering
application in place.
“The idea was when kids
got out of there they’d have either a technical certification or they would have
experience using SolidWorks and/or digital fabrication,” recalled Hinske, an
18-year administrator and former physical education teacher and football and
wrestling coach at Big Foot. “They could either move into an apprenticeship or
something in the field of work, technical college, technical school program.”
A “really important
piece” of launching the fab lab, he said, was a push to get more women involved
in the STEM professions.
The end result of
adding the fab lab, Hinske noted, was Big Foot found itself having “a number of
kids ending up in engineering programs and engineering schools” and more
students overall “going into engineering in general.”
“All of a sudden we started to see more
and more of a push towards engineering,” he recalled. “We had kids going to
Milwaukee, we had them going to Madison for engineering, we had them going to
Case Western Reserve in Ohio. We had a lot of kids going to prep for
engineering, which was positive. It gave kids the opportunity to explore that.”
Beyond engineering,
Hinske said fab labs have complementary natural applications in other fields
including interior design and the arts.
An important part of
the Big Foot fab lab, Hinske said, has been building partnerships with
“community businesses that are supportive of engineering.”
“There’s a lot of
companies here that use engineering, that use SolidWorks,” he noted. “They need
people. They need high quality, trained people to help them.”
Big Foot district
administrator Doug Parker is pleased with the success of the high school’s
maturing fab lab program.
“It’s a great
exploratory to another pathway of careers,” he noted. “We’re a comprehensive
high school. We can’t offer everything, but we try and offer as many career
pathways and exploration opportunities as we can. The better the equipment and
the more equipment we have, the more things we can expose kids to in the
engineering field and allow them to explore that career pathway, and hopefully,
if they’re interested, go on to post-secondary and careers in the field.”
In
regard to the current grant award, Parker said he is “hopeful” that the fab lab
expansion grants will help both programs establish a solid fab lab program
continuum “that is the start of a great engineering transition” for students
advancing from Fontana to Big Foot.
https://www.bigfoot.k12.wi.us/
https://www.fontana.k12.wi.us/
Non-profit’s manufacturing camp trains an untapped resource of workers
By
Emily Matesic for WSAW
An Appleton non-profit
hopes a camp it’s hosting will help fill vacancies in manufacturing by training
an untapped resource of potential workers.
VPI is a non-profit
that already works with individuals who have disabilities or are disadvantaged.
When an opportunity arose to continue its mission and help even more people, as
well as the manufacturing industry, VPI was on-board.
A group of 10 young
adults are part of Inclusion Manufacturing Camp in Appleton.
“I like it here a lot
because I like to try new jobs,” camper Noah Berken said.
The idea of the
four-week camp is to train and prepare young adults with disabilities for jobs
in manufacturing.
Monica Allaback is an
instructor for VPI. ”We’ve seen a lot of improvement in social skills, talking
to their supervisor, being able to ask questions if they need to, and just
learning the jobs. They are doing great,” Allaback said.
The lessons learned
here are showing local employers that this group of individuals is a viable
option to meet workforce demands.
By building the skills,
campers say they’ve built up confidence that will help to empower them as they
search for jobs and careers.
“It taught me that I
can go, be what it’s like in the real world and be OK with it,” camper Keegan
Glaser said.
”It gives people purpose in life. It gives people a sense of being part of the
community -- and just plain old cash. The other reason why we’re doing this is,
we really want to encourage people to find a job in manufacturing. There’s a lot
of great jobs out there and a lot of great people to do them,” Allaback said.
For the full story go to: https://www.wsaw.com/2022/08/16/non-profits-manufacturing-camp-trains-an-untapped-resource-workers/
The Rise of Skilled Manufacturing
From the Wisconsin Historical Society
Between 1870 and 1900 the United States became the
world's foremost industrial nation, emerging as the leader in meatpacking,
timber and steel production as well as in mining. The nation experienced a
stunning growth in the scale and pace of industrial production, which
transformed business, the environment, the workplace, the home, and everyday
life. In Wisconsin, early manufacturing was primarily extractive - - removing
raw materials such as fur, lumber, and lead from the landscape and processing
them for market. In contrast, by 1860 Milwaukee had become a center of modern
manufacturing - - creating finished consumer goods from those raw materials. Its
lumber and flour milling industries produced one-fourth of the value of all
manufactures in the state that year.
Read more and find images, books and articles
here:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-044/?action=more_essay
Manufacture Your Future
Arconic Foundation and Discovery Education have partnered to provide 3rd-12th grade
educators, administrators, school counselors and families with materials to
cultivate the next generation of manufacturing leaders and innovators. New
lesson plans and self-paced module are rooted in STEM principles, and counselor
and family resources explore career options and provide a school-to-home
connection.
https://www.manufactureyourfuture.com/
MFG
DAY
Held
annually on the first Friday in October, Manufacturing Day helps show the
reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies
and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students,
parents, teachers and community leaders. October 4, 2019.
https://www.mfgday.com/
Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) Program resources from the Wisconsin
Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)
https://wedc.org/programs-and-resources/fabrication-laboratories-resources/
Wisconsin Manufacturing Facts from the National Association of Manufacturers
(NAM)
https://www.nam.org/state-manufacturing-data/2019-wisconsin-manufacturing-facts/
Tools
and Resources for Educators from the Manufacturing Institute
http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Skills-Certification/Educator-Resources/Tools-and-Resources.aspx
Depth Over
Breadth
Students earn about 2 percent more annually for each advanced or upper-level
vocational class they take in high school, according to a new
analysis. Authors Daniel Kreisman of Georgia State
University and Kevin Stange of the University of Michigan also report that,
rather than deterring capable students from academic pursuits, vocational
courses enable students to make better post-secondary enrollment decisions.
https://www.educationnext.org/depth-over-breadth-value-vocational-education-u-s-high-schools/
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