WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (WSAU) — Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids is one of just seven schools in North America to earn the 2019 Learning Resources Network (LERN) Training Award for Excellence in Reaching Underserved Populations.
Workforce Development Manager Craig Bernstein says the award showed the flexibility that the school offers in bridging the gap between the skills needed by employers in the region and the skill set of the current workforce. “They don’t look at the graduates that the college is putting out there. [They really look at] how the college is helping the workforce through training programs and non-traditional education.”
The specific program that helped Mid-State earn the honor was developed through a partnership with the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. Bernstein says the school was able to put together a 4-week customized program to help meet the skills gap that currently exists in the machine-tool field.
He says it’s all part of the school’s goal of developing a workforce at home to fit the needs of the area. A role that helped Wisconsin Rapids land the proposed $80 million Matalco aluminum recycling plant.
“Mid-State is really in a prime position to assist with our workforce, bot through the graduates of our traditional programs or new employers who might need some upscaling,” said Bernstein.
Of six thousand schools eligible for the honor, only seven were chosen.
