Portrait of a Futuremaker: Manufacturing student/Student Government President Justin Wheelock

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. Studying Manufacturing Engineering Technology, which has a baccalaureate completion agreement with UW-Stout, Justin also plans to get a professional engineer’s certificate which requires experience in industry. He then hopes to complete a Masters degree or an MBA depending on what program he settles on. He’s looking at either UW-Stout, which has a graduate study opportunity for Manufacturing Engineering, or through UW-Madison for anything related to business.

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.

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.

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 typical FTE represents multiple students.)

Wisconsin’s technical colleges are projecting enrollment to exceed 80,000 full‑time equivalent (FTE) students this year, or a 14.6 percent increase over last year’s historic levels. This growth is not only significant in its overall size, but also because it is occurring throughout the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS).