Through this partnership, we have increased access to many family-supporting careers. At the same time, this initiative opens the door to high-paying careers in trades for students who otherwise may not have known they existed.
Representatives from Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), We Energies, the City of Milwaukee and other partners celebrated the completion and one-year anniversary of the Electrical Power Distribution (EPD)/Line Mechanic technical training program Wednesday, November 20 in Milwaukee’s revitalized Metcalfe Park neighborhood.
MATC’s Electrical Power Distribution (EPD)/Line Mechanic program originally only existed at the college’s Mequon Campus. To make the program more accessible to students in Milwaukee, We Energies partnered with MATC to create a new campus in the heart of the city. The program is for students seeking to enter the field of electrical utilities, line mechanics and electricians. High school graduates and young adults are encouraged to apply for the 30-credit training program that takes place over nine months, which covers the basics in electrical power distribution, line mechanics rescue and safety, and general workplace communication.
The first class of line mechanics graduated from the new Milwaukee campus in spring of 2024. All six students had jobs lined up after graduation — four of them with We Energies, one with AT&T and one with an electrical contractor. Overall, We Energies has hired more than two dozen former interns and apprentices full-time after graduation.
Graduates earning a technical diploma can use the training as a step toward an apprenticeship and may be eligible for entry-level positions with a salary of about $63,000 a year. The median pay, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is about $83,000. An experienced line worker who travels to sites affected by natural disasters can make nearly a quarter of a million dollars a year.
We Energies’ partnership with MATC is a critical part of a direct talent pipeline the company has created to recruit the next generation of utility workers. Once high school students graduate high school, MATC is a natural next step for line mechanic interns and youth design apprentices. We Energies recruits high school students from across Milwaukee County to participate in life-changing apprenticeship and internship programs.
“Through this partnership, we have increased access to many family-supporting careers,” MATC President Anthony J. Cruz, Ed.D., said. “At the same time, this initiative opens the door to high-paying careers in trades for students who otherwise may not have known they existed.”
“This program with its collaborative partners, are a tremendous asset to Milwaukee residents and specifically supports redevelopment and workforce development in this great Metcalfe Park neighborhood,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
We Energies donated a trailer for classroom instruction and yard space at one of the company’s service centers, and poles for field instruction. The We Energies Foundation has also contributed significant financial support for the technical degree program, and line mechanic scholarships for students in need.
The site expansion combines land owned by We Energies and the Redevelopment Authority of the City (RACM). RACM also committed the previously vacant land for field instruction allowing students to practice training where greater distance between poles is needed.
“Many partners recognized the need for training opportunities that will lead to high-demand, high-paying jobs,” said Laura Bray, MATC’s vice president of College Advancement and External Communications and executive director of the MATC Foundation Inc. “Students participating in the EPD program may be eligible for the Ellen and Joe Checota MATC Scholarship Program, the college’s first-ever full-ride scholarship program.”
Funding to make the expansion possible is being provided by We Energies, Intren, Hooper Corporation, Kapur, KS Energies, MP Systems and Miller Pipeline through donations to the MATC Foundation, MATC’s philanthropic partner. In addition, MMSD’s Fresh Coast Protection Partnership and the Environmental Protection Agency contributed to site preparation.Funding to make the expansion possible is being provided by We Energies, Intren, Hooper Corporation, Kapur, KS Energies, MP Systems and Miller Pipeline through donations to the MATC Foundation, MATC’s philanthropic partner. In addition, MMSD’s Fresh Coast Protection Partnership and the Environmental Protection Agency contributed to site preparation.
About MATC: 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. Nearly 28,000 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; and 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. The MATC Foundation Inc. is MATC’s philanthropic partner to support students’ success and their role in the region’s economic vitality.