U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Introduces GREEN Act at MATC

MATC was one of the four Wisconsin Technical Colleges U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin visited this month to introduce the Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation (GREEN) Act, which provides funding for clean energy career and technical training programs. The result: students who are better trained for post-secondary education and better equipped for the high-skilled jobs of the future.

Senator Baldwin’s visit to our Downtown Milwaukee Campus featured a panel of students, faculty and business partners; a trip to an electronics classroom to observe an experiment using operational amplifiers; and a stop in our Women in Technology Center to meet more students. I was impressed at Senator Baldwin’s genuine interest in our students, our faculty, our partners and our programs.

The college, of course, was thrilled to host Senator Baldwin and tout our innovative responses to rapidly growing and evolving industries. It’s fitting that Senator Baldwin chose technical colleges to announce her proposed legislation; for more than a century the state’s technical colleges have been poised to respond to the demands of our local businesses. And that is exactly what we are doing in the fields of “green” careers.

Milwaukee Area Technical College has a long and proud history of implementing green initiatives in our classrooms and on our campuses. In fact, we practiced sustainability before it became fashionable to do so. I am committed to implementing policies and practices that reduce our carbon footprint and continuing to offer academic programs that prepare students for careers in emerging technologies, including some that have yet to be introduced.

WTCS President Morna Foy participated in the event. She commented, “Over the past several years, Wisconsin’s technical colleges have created cutting edge sustainability programs in areas like wind, solar and geothermal. We’ve also “greened” our remaining curriculum by including sustainability concepts in sectors including agriculture, construction and health care. The GREEN Act supports and advances this work in a ground-breaking way.”

I appreciate Senator Baldwin’s leadership in proposing funding for education and training that will prepare Americans for clean energy careers. The proposed GREEN Act is an innovative approach to ensure the workforce is prepared for jobs in emerging technologies. Milwaukee Area Technical College is committed to continue to develop academic programs that enable Wisconsin residents to pursue these growing career opportunities.

MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke Shares How INTERFACE Grant Will Benefit Students with U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez

I had the pleasure of meeting United States Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez at Gateway Technical College on December 4. Secretary Perez was in Wisconsin to promote the INTERFACE Project Grant from the Department of Labor.

The state’s 16 technical colleges collaborated on the $23.1 million grant that invests in Information Technology career pathways. Certifications and pathways will be developed and shared statewide in a uniquely collaborative effort. At MATC, we will deploy $2.09 million to enhance our Computer Support Specialist associate degree program.

Secretary Perez lauded the Wisconsin Technical College System’s “deftness and nimbleness that allows us to pivot to today’s and tomorrow’s jobs.” He also acknowledged that technical colleges “prepare students for placement in middle class jobs with upward mobility.” Nationwide, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program is catalyzing growth through partnerships. Secretary Perez emphasized that the WTCS grant proposal met three key criteria: demand driven, industry driven, and a partnership -based.

I shared with Secretary Perez that the TAACCT grant is a game-changer that helps MATC address a pall that has fallen over our community, a pall created by persistent and egregious unemployment and inter-generational poverty. This grant is critical to our commitment to the Completion Challenge, in which we have pledged to graduate 50% more students by the year 2020. We are well on our way (with a 21.9% increase over the last three years), yet we all know that there is still more work to do.

MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke (right) shares insight with U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez (left), Acting Assistant Secretary of Employment and Training Administration Eric Seleznow, and Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht.

Our School of Business Dean, Mohammad Dakwar, joined me on a panel with Wisconsin Secretary of Workforce Development Reggie Newson, WTCS President Morna Foy, Gateway Technical College President Bryan Albrecht, technical college students, instructors and administrators, all of whom shared detailed insight with Secretary Perez.   Also present with me at the event was Cheralynn Randall, our talented Director of Grants, who was part of the team that submitted the grant to the DOL.

Dean Dakwar deftly presented how the IT career pathways at MATC provide students a hands-on skill set that helps move them forward. MATC received many positive reviews for the linkages we have created between certificates, technical diplomas, associate degrees and employment.

School of Business Dean Mohammad Dakwar (second from right) explains how the federal INTERFACE grant will be implemented at MATC.

It was very rewarding to have our statewide work recognized by national leaders. Secretary Perez relayed a story that is common among our students – he started college the same year as his mother did and observed that education is the “great equalizer.”

I concur with Secretary Perez and know that the INTERFACE grant and collaboration among the state’s technical colleges will benefit students and business for years to come.

MATC Proud to Host Naturalization Ceremony

When I was approached by Alexandra Topping, one of MATC’s excellent English as Second Language (ESL) faculty members, about hosting the United States Naturalization Ceremony on October 10, it took me about two nanoseconds to say “Absolutely!”

Held last week in historic Cooley Auditorium on our Downtown Milwaukee Campus, the event was both a thrilling and a humbling experience.

Each of the 211 brand-new United States citizens from 62 countries had a unique story. Despite being from far-flung communities across the globe, each of them shared a common desire: to join the U.S. family as a citizen. Given the turmoil in Washington, D.C. this month, one may question why people would want to become a United States citizen at this time in our country’s history. As I mentioned to the attendees, this too shall pass, but the privileges of citizenship are for a lifetime.

Kay Leopold, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Milwaukee Field Office Director; Hanife Thomas, MATC Student and member of International Student Organization; United States Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph; MATC School of Pre-College Education Dean Gloria Pitchford-Nicholas; and MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke.

Hanife Thomas, an MATC student and member of the International Student Organization, welcomed the candidates and shared her story about her journey to the United States from Turkey. She has a bright future ahead of her and is a top-notch representative of MATC students.

Also inspiring was U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph’s story. Judge Joseph, who administered the Oath of Allegiance, was born in Haiti and recounted (in photos!) her own family’s compelling path to citizenship. She challenged the new citizens to fully embrace the rights and responsibilities afforded to them, in particular the right to vote. After the ceremony, she stayed on stage to have her photo taken with every new citizen to help make the occasion even more memorable.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph celebrates with a new United States citizen and his family.

Hundreds of MATC students, faculty and staff attended the ceremony and helped celebrate with the new citizens. I was especially proud that many of our English as a Second Language students witnessed the culmination of many months of dedicated studying by the candidates.

The ceremony concluded by all in attendance reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. I took the time to reflect on its words and affirmed my pride in being a United States citizen. It is something we may take for granted from time to time, but a ceremony like this is a bracing reminder of how precious it is.

The Oct. 10 Naturalization Ceremony concluded with all attendees reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

I am hopeful that MATC will have the opportunity to host a Naturalization Ceremony on an annual basis. The event was a civics lesson brought to life right here in Cooley Auditorium.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/ppjanp5 for a photo gallery of the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony.

MATC Graduates: Picture of Achievement

MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke congratulates a graduate.

The numbers are in and our December 2011 and May 2012 graduates readily joining the workforce here in southeastern Wisconsin. I am pleased to share that 86% of our associate degree graduates who responded to the annual Wisconsin Technical College System survey were employed and their average salary was $37,200. Both of these figures are higher than the 2011 data. Our technical diploma graduates also reported success: 80% are employed and their average salary was $30,154.

The earning power of our alumni continues to grow after graduation. The median salaries of WTCS students increased 48% just five years after graduation.

These numbers are proof positive that MATC is providing the education and training area residents are seeking to join the workforce. Our graduates are skilled technical professionals in rewarding occupations that include creative/digital careers, protective services, skilled manufacturing and building trades, health care, business, engineering, IT, green industries and many, many more.

The impact our graduates have on the region is significant: 97% of our graduates live and work in Wisconsin, the vast majority of them in metropolitan Milwaukee. Clearly, MATC is an important contributor to the economy, given we prepare thousands of job-ready professionals every year.

With the college’s commitment to the Completion Challenge (50% increase in number of graduates by 2020), we look forward to enhancing our contributions to Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

You can review the full 2012 Graduate Employment Report at http://www.matc.edu/documents/upload/grad_report_2012.pdf

MATC Hosts Prestigious Welding Conference

Last month, MATC hosted the 30th annual National Robotic Arc Welding Conference and Exhibition in conjunction with the American Welding Society and the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association. The event was held at the Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing (ECAM) on our Oak Creek Campus and featured manufacturing industry leaders who shared real-world innovations used to make their automation projects successful. More than 165 professionals from the United States and abroad were in attendance.

I am proud that MATC was chosen to host such a prestigious event. It was a tremendous experience for our faculty to meet with so many professionals who are focused on innovation. I would especially like to thank faculty members Sue Silverstein and Larry Gross who played an integral role in MATC hosting the conference.

Hosting events like this give the college the opportunity to showcase our people, programs and facilities. Industry representatives learned first hand about MATC’s commitment to working with business, especially those in the manufacturing sector, to educate and train the workforce of today and tomorrow.

For more photos of the American Welding Society’s National Robotic Arc Welding Conference and Exhibition, see  http://tinyurl.com/nhme299

Honoring the Class of 2013

On Friday, May 24, the MATC community celebrated the graduation of 1,400 students from the college’s associate degree, technical diploma, apprentice and adult high school programs.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremony because it was both a celebration and a confirmation for each of our graduates. Many are the first in their families to attend and graduate from college; many worked multiple jobs while earning their degree; many raised a family while attending classes; many are military veterans preparing for a new career; many overcame self-doubt and returned to college after years, perhaps decades, of being out of school; and many were motivated to move beyond an unfulfilling job and now have skills for a rewarding career.

We were privileged to be joined by United States Senator Tammy Baldwin who recognized the grit and determination of our graduates. Senator Baldwin also noted that the members of the Class of 2013 took the opportunity to build better lives for themselves and a better future for their children.

MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke congratulates a member of the Class of 2013.

Friday’s ceremony was an important milestone for our graduates who are about to begin the next chapter of their lives. For some, it will mean launching their careers, while for others it will mean more education in a new and different environment. Most importantly, all of our graduates have prepared for that next chapter by building a strong educational foundation at MATC.

Yes, the graduates will be leaving MATC, but that does not mean MATC is leaving them. They will carry the lessons they have learned on our campuses, in our classrooms, during service learning projects, as members of a student club or organization, and as a part of the MATC family, with them to that important next chapter.

On Friday our graduates became a part of MATC’s rich and storied 101-year history, joining thousands of men and women who call MATC their alma mater. I am extremely proud of them and was honored to confer the degrees upon the MATC Class of 2013.

Author Wes Moore Visit to MATC Memorable for Students, Employees, Community

On March 14, Milwaukee Area Technical College was privileged to host Wes Moore, best-selling author, Rhodes Scholar, decorated war hero, and White House Fellow, for a series of presentations to students, employees and community members.  While I have had the pleasure of hosting a number of impressive speakers in my career, our “Wes Moore Day” here at MATC was particularly special for me.

Mr. Moore is the author of The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, which chronicles the life experiences and choices that led to drastically different outcomes in two men’s lives who shared the same name and grew up in the same neighborhood in Baltimore.

When I was approached Michelle Felix, one of our faculty leaders, with the idea of hosting Mr. Moore here, I knew this was something MATC simply had to do.  His story is one of a troubled youth who turned his life around through timely interventions by family members and through the guidance of mentors at key moments in his life.  The other Wes Moore, a bright young man from the same neighborhood, did not have such guidance and mentors, and his future now is to be confined in prison for life without parole for his role in an armed robbery gone bad. As Mr. Moore writes, the tragedy of this story is twofold: the death of a police officer in the armed robbery, and the confinement of a young man whose life could have turned out so differently.

This message about the power of potential is a message I felt we must share with our students (and our greater community) as a preamble to further discussions of our most deleterious societal issues.

Mr. Moore linked his message to MATC’s original mission as a school designed to serve “the forgotten children of Milwaukee” who were often victimized before the advent of Child Labor laws.  He focused on the importance of making a difference in the life of a young person, he challenged us to remember the forgotten children, and he stressed that we cannot have serious conversations without all members of the community being represented at the table.

The events showcased the best of MATC and would not have been possible without the college community embracing Mr. Moore’s powerful, personal message. The entire day was an important reminder of the transformative effect MATC can have in the lives of our students and the community at large.

Wes Moore and MATC President Dr. Michael L. Burke enjoyed dinner at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus.

For more photos of Wes Moore’s visit to MATC, go to http://marketing.matc.edu/web/photos/031413_wes_moore_visits_matc/

Support of Veteran Students and Families a Priority at MATC

At our Winter Commencement this past December, I asked the military veterans in our graduating class to stand.  A spontaneous roar of applause from the audience followed.  It reminded me that we cannot show our gratitude to veterans for their service often enough.  I am fortunate to know many veterans who have put their country before themselves, and that single act is one of the greatest sacrifices a person can make.

When veterans or their family members enroll at MATC as a way to change their lives, I want to make sure we provide them with the highest quality educational experience possible. Our Military Education Support staff assists students who are veterans and veterans’ family members by eliminating obstacles that may prevent them from succeeding academically. The Military Education Support staff also helps connect veterans with resources and services throughout the greater Milwaukee area.

One program our Military Education Support staff works closely with is the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, which provides funding to veterans between the ages of 35-60 who are pursuing full-time study in high-demand careers. Helping these veterans navigate the world of higher education is critical to their success. Several MATC students are currently enrolled in this program, which will surely pay great future dividends. (Learn more at http://www.matc.edu/matc_in_action/2013VRAP.cfm)

It is important we provide support outside the classroom as well. I look forward to the series of workshops we are planning for veterans and their families. We will be creating a Veterans Advisory Board to help identify other ways MATC can support our students who have served our country. MATC seeks additional ways to create an important social network for our veteran students.

Renewing our commitment to offer the best possible MATC experience for our veterans and their families is just one simple way to say “thank you” for all they have done for our nation.

Responding to Local Employer Needs Remains a Priority for MATC

Next fall MATC will introduce 12 new academic programs that collectively signal the college’s on-going responsiveness to the changing needs and emerging trends in local industry. This is the third straight year we have launched new associate degree and technical diploma programs that will put area residents on a pathway to employment. (For a complete list of programs, visit http://www.matc.edu/matc_news/2012_NewMATCAcademicPrograms.cfm)

These programs encompass some of the region’s most rapidly growing industries, including mobile applications, eBusiness, health information technology, and food and beverage management, one of the hottest career fields in southeastern Wisconsin.

In addition to these new programs, we are expanding existing programs such as welding, emergency services and renewable/sustainable energy, due to the increased local demand for such professionals right here in our local community.

Our region is faced with a compelling dynamic: we have unacceptably high unemployment and we have employers who seek workers for high-skill, technically-based jobs. From where I sit, it is critical that MATC continues to serve as THE conduit between businesses and manufacturers and their potential employees.

I am convinced that the skills which area residents learn and become proficient in at MATC will help them enter the workforce not with “McJob” wages but with family-sustaining salaries. In turn, by creating more job-ready professionals, MATC serves as a significant driver in the region’s economy.

Last month, at The Business Journal’s education roundtable, I shared information about MATC’s commitment to work with area employers to both address the current skills gap and to plan for the future of our workforce. I was joined by a dozen other talented leaders from colleges and universities in southeastern Wisconsin. Clearly, every college and university leader in this region has a stake in meeting this challenge (it is what we do daily), and I welcome any invitation to discuss how our institutions can better serve our evolving local workforce.

Events like the roundtable and other such discussions are important, but action is required. Higher education institutions must ensure they are offering the education and training that will lead to gainful employment; prospective employees must take the steps that will prepare them for employment; and local employers must continue to identify the skill sets they need in their employees and commit to expanding training and advancement opportunities for their incumbent workers.

There are many aspects of the skills gap dilemma and many contributors who must identify and implement solutions. I am committed to Milwaukee Area Technical College being the regional leader in this effort.

MATC: Providing Workforce Solutions for Residents, Businesses

MATC: Providing Workforce Solutions for Residents, Businesses

As business and educational leaders from across Wisconsin deliberate on how to best help both businesses and our residents recover from the economic recession, it is clear to me that the state’s technical colleges will play an integral role in that recovery. Tim Sullivan’s The Road Ahead: Restoring Wisconsin’s Workforce Development suggests a number of solutions to address the state’s skills gap, and I appreciate the herculean effort Mr. Sullivan made in developing the report. and I hope others spend time digesting it.

Mr. Sullivan identifies the need for real-time labor market data. I wholeheartedly agree with him. That is why key administrators at MATC have access to EMSI, a cloud-based database of real-time labor market data for every job title in America. In addition, MATC provides current and prospective students with job and salary growth projections for each associate degree and technical diploma through the Career Coach feature on our website (matc.edu). Students can use this information to map their occupational interests to jobs that have a strong future. They can also learn what education and training is necessary (and available at MATC!) to get started on a rewarding career.

Mr. Sullivan rightly targets the byzantine process we have in Wisconsin around the transferring of college credits. While I am proud of the many transfer options MATC students currently have, both inside and outside of Wisconsin, I support anything we can do to ease the logistics and the sheer weight of processes on our students,

That said, the report’s lack of accurate data and consistency in places undercuts the overall effectiveness of Sullivan’s report for me. On one hand, Mr. Sullivan concludes correctly that using a simple “graduation rate” metric for the state’s technical colleges is not the best way to measure our success, since so many students will opt for employment (or “job out” as we call it) before graduating. Yet, one page later, Mr. Sullivan takes MATC to task for low graduation rates in welding. Mr. Sullivan’s overlooks the rather significant fact that 100 of the 148 students he cites in 2010 were taking classes part-time and simply could not have successfully graduated in that timeframe. Yet, MATC is blamed for a low graduation rate, the metric previously described as ill-conceived and ill-fitting. If you are confused, imagine how I feel.

In addition, I struggle with Mr. Sullivan’s recommendation to charge a higher tuition for students who already hold a baccalaureate degree. Why would we, as a state, penalize students financially when they seek enhanced technical skills that are complimentary to their other degree? There are countless examples of university graduates who are successful in their given profession and who come back to us to further improve themselves in order to get a promotion, a salary raise, or a new career altogether. Honestly, I did likewise, pursuing college course work in fundraising after my Ph.D. I’m just saying….

Mr. Sullivan is right – we need to immediately come together to address the issues that hamper workforce development. However, in our haste to move forward, we cannot rush to judgments that could result in setting the state back even farther. Regardless, I remain committed to being a part of the solution that benefits Wisconsin’s residents and businesses.