Northeast Wisconsin Technical College’s Electro-Mechanical Mobile Lab will be blazing new trails this spring thanks to a partnership with Amcor Cares, the community enrichment arm of Amcor — a global packaging manufacturer with 13 locations in the Fox Valley.
NWTC Associate Dean Jill Thiede says the $68,000 grant will allow the college to start taking its popular, hands-on mobile learning lab to regional middle schools, as manufacturers like Amcor see increased value in reaching and inspiring future engineers and technicians at a young age. In the past, the trailer has visited high schools and older audiences, but visiting middle schools will be a new and highly beneficial touch point when it comes to inspiring interest in attending NWTC, in manufacturing careers, and in STEM generally.
In addition to sponsoring the costs associated with school visits, Amcor’s gift allows NWTC to purchase more “level one” modules for the trailer — accessories that are more appropriate for and resonant with children. But the trailer and its activities are anything but child’s play, Thiede is quick to point out. “There are Rockwell ControlLogix processors and drive systems. It’s not Tinker Toys,” she says.
And while it’s “never too late” to pursue a career in electro-mech, Thiede says early introduction is extremely beneficial. Because career planning activities are happening in middle schools, students who are exposed to the trailer will be more likely to not only make good choices when it comes to high school coursework, but see the value of some of their math, science and robotics classes as they’re taking them.
“Not everyone has the ‘math is fun’ gene, so it’s great when they can at least say, ‘OK, I’m going to take this class because it’s going to lead to this cool career,’” Thiede says. “When you can get them in sixth grade, seventh grade, they’re just excited to try stuff. It’s really cool to see them get excited about it, make some lasting memories and help them start thinking about a pretty neat career where they get to work with this kind of equipment all the time.”
Ethan Haas, vice president of Amcor Flexibles Liquid and an Amcor Cares trustee, says Amcor Cares has three areas of emphasis: basic needs, the arts and STEM education. When it comes to the third, Northeast Wisconsin’s technical college system is a great investment for a variety of reasons: Amcor’s strong regional presence, employing 3,000; the diverse, extensive community outreach the colleges facilitate; and the tremendous need for technical talent — and not just at Amcor.
“These are the jobs of the future, and to get these students excited provides a talent pool not only for Amcor, but the whole community,” Haas says. “When you see kids touch technology, they light up. You can see their minds race as they see the possibilities.”
Haas says companies have a responsibility to provide support on the ground for what he calls a “manufacturing renaissance” in education.
“With the rich history of manufacturing in Northeast Wisconsin, our ability to invest benefits everybody. Our technical schools provide really good access and give people clear ladders of opportunity, and I think our communities have historically underappreciated them,” Haas says. “[They provide] the workforce of the future, the bedrock jobs of our community … so, investing in these colleges is really a responsibility for everybody to think about.”
Thiede says the college is grateful that Amcor stepped forward with the gift and is excited about the message it sends.
“More and more, this kind of partnership is going to be what helps us support our manufacturing base,” she says. “It’s great when we have partners who are really willing to work with us to help get the word out: There are great jobs that exist in manufacturing.”
