Nick Anderson, third from left, receives his certificate in CNC operations in the spring of 2024.
I have always liked working with my hands, which is why I wanted to try something like this ... As I got more comfortable with my instructors and classmates, I really started to enjoy it.
Nicholas Anderson has gotten used to getting up early.
He has no problems waking up before dawn, driving from his home in Brookfield to the Hinz Co. in Franklin and starting his shift at 5 a.m., operating computer numerical control machines that create high-precision parts and components.
“At first it was hard, but I’m a morning person,” said Anderson, who earned a CNC Setup and Operations certificate through Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Uniquely Abled Academy (UAA), a program that trains students with autism in CNC operations. “So it’s not a big deal.”
Anderson received his certificate in the spring of 2024, with the third group of students to go through the UAA, which started in 2021.
In the program, students get more than 500 hours of instruction over two semesters. Along with learning technical skills, they take classes in career readiness and social skills, learn how to build resumes and go on interviews. They visit prospective employers and watch employer presentations, said Goldhmong Vang, the college’s UAA coordinator.
Students in the first two cohorts usually returned to MATC to continue their education, but participants in the recent groups, like Anderson, are more intent on finding work, Vang said.
“Nick was firm in his career goals to work as a machinist rather than taking any job,” Vang said.
Anderson has been at Hinz since July. He works four 10-hour days each week, helping Hinz manufacture high precision parts and complex components used in the medical, electronics, aerospace, automotive and watchmaking industries.
Access to good jobs for all, including people with disabilities, is the theme of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is celebrated in October.
Disabled people have made gains in employment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2023, 22.5% of people with disabilities were employed; that’s up from 21.3% in 2022 and 17.9% in 2020.
MATC’s UAA program is trying to increase that number.
“Our program is another innovative approach where MATC is working to nurture the talents of individuals in our district while meeting employer demands in an industry that needs skilled workers,” said Laura Bray, MATC vice president of college advancement and external communications. “This is a clear win-win for students and employers.”
Read about more UAA participants:
- Uniquely Abled Academy Graduate Fitting in Just Fine in the Working World
- Uniquely Abled Academy Participant Finally Feeling Like She Belongs
- MATC unique program all adds up for student with autism
MATC had 10 students in the third UAA group. The current cohort, which started this fall, has eight, Vang said.
Anderson heard about the program from one of his advisors at Brookfield Central High School. “I have always liked working with my hands, which is why I wanted to try something like this,” he said. “It was a little overwhelming at first, but as I got more comfortable with my instructors and classmates, I really started to enjoy it.”
Anderson received scholarships for tuition and for his books through the MATC Foundation, the philanthropic partner of the college. The scholarships were funded by a variety of donors, said Naomi Pollek, the foundation’s corporate & employer relations officer.
Just as valuable to Anderson was the individual attention he got in the program — advisors helped him create a resume and prepare for interviews. After he completed the program, he interviewed with three companies and received three offers.
“I was able to answer everything with confidence,” he said.
Anderson said he wants to stay with Hinz and learn how to operate other CNC machines than make even more complicated parts. “It’s a great place to work,” he said.
Find out more about MATC’s Uniquely Abled Academy
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.