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.