On February 25th, I had the opportunity to visit Milwaukee Area Technical College in Oak Creek. Earlier this year, the Assembly proclaimed February “Career and Technical Education Month." This provided a perfect opportunity to visit MATC in Oak Creek.
With more than 90 manufacturers in our community, MATC is an important resource for job seekers in our community. During the tour, I visited the Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing, and learned about the variety of apprenticeship programs available including sheet metal and tool and die. Apprentice students are given the opportunity to earn technical college credits while they begin on the job training with employers. Students at MATC-Oak Creek learn skills they can apply right here in our district after they graduate.
After the tour, we held a round-table discussion with MATC students and local employers that often hire recent graduates. MATC has an array of students ranging from recent high school graduates to adults who have been in the workforce for years and are looking for a fresh start in life. I was eager to learn about their motivations and how MATC has been able to help them achieve their goals. We also discussed how the state’s Fast Forward initiative is helping local employers find recent graduates to fill high-demand jobs that benefit our district’s economy.
Later in the afternoon, we toured Nucor Corporation and learned about their cold finishing technique. Nucor recently won the South Suburban Chamber’s 2018 Environmental Sustainability Award. It was a pleasure to meet with the employees and learn about how to make steel with less energy and fewer environmental impacts.
Click the photo above to watch the video!
Budget Writing Committee Headed to Oak Creek
Last week, the Joint Finance Committee announced they will hold one of four statewide public hearings in Oak Creek on Wednesday, April 10, to gather input on the state budget. Details are listed below.
This is a great opportunity for our community to speak directly to committee members about the issues that mater most to us. I hope to see you there!
South Milwaukee Downtown Market –Thursday, May 30 – October 10, 3 - 7 pm – 11th & Milwaukee Avenueshttps://www.smmarket.org/
Rep. Rodriguez State Capitol, Room 204 N PO Box 8953 Madison, WI 53708 Toll-Free (888) 534-0021 or (608) 266-0610 Rep.Rodriguez@legis.wi.gov| Read Online |