Ginny Gnadt
Senior Public Relations Specialist
(414) 297-6770, gnadtv@matc.edu 
                  

MILWAUKEE (Sept. 1, 2011) – Milwaukee Area Technical College recently received a Wisconsin Forward Award from the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence. MATC was the only Milwaukee area award winner and the only higher education institution recognized at the 2011 annual ceremony.

Other recipients included Bay Area Medical Center in Marinette, Black River Memorial Hospital in Black River Falls, Central Wisconsin Center in Madison, Howard-Suamico School District in Green Bay and SSM Health Care of Wisconsin.

Recipients were recognized for efforts in developing and refining processes tied to good results in areas such as student learning, workforce development, leadership, financial sustainability and customer focus.

The Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence cited many strengths in MATC’s organization. A few examples include:

-- MATC’s use of the “Plan-Do-Check-Act” improvement cycle in many processes, particularly in strategic planning.

-- Strategic goals which correspond to core committees and work teams, allowing leadership to guide and grow a sustainable business model.
                                                                  
-- Demonstration of valuing its workforce through professional development opportunities; employee recognition events; and seeking feedback through a variety of mechanisms, including shared governance.

-- Institutional technology which manages quality, availability and distribution of computing resources across the college and all MATC campuses.

Wisconsin Forward Award, Inc. was created in 1997 by the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment to advance the competitive position and world-class status of Wisconsin organizations in the international marketplace, and to enhance learning, continuous improvement and enterprise performance. The award promotes excellence in organizational management, recognizes the achievements and results of Wisconsin organizations implementing performance excellence systems, and publicizes successful performance excellence management strategies. It is modeled after the national Baldrige Performance Excellence Program.