We Energies is an outstanding partner in education and job training. Together we are offering solutions to address our region’s workforce shortages and breaking down barriers that stand between students and an education that leads to economic mobility.
Milwaukee Area Technical College and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board recently honored We Energies with the Futuremaker Partner Award.
Established in 2009, the Futuremaker Partner Award is presented four times a year by the WTCS Board to recognize local businesses and organizations that build long-standing partnerships with the state’s technical colleges.
WTCS President Layla Merrifield and MATC President Dr. Anthony Cruz presented the award during the Sept. 1 WTCS Board meeting, held at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus.
“MATC has a long history with We Energies to ensure that specific workforce needs are being met,” Merrifield said. “Some very special things are happening in this community with this partnership.”
We Energies supports MATC and education in the Milwaukee region through hands-on high school internships, career exploration programs, funding, and hiring apprentices and graduates.
“Together we are offering solutions to address our region’s workforce shortages and breaking down barriers that stand between students and an education that leads to economic mobility,” Dr. Cruz said. “This support is not just helpful, it’s truly transformational.”
In 2023, We Energies helped MATC expand its Electrical Power Distribution program by establishing a new training facility in Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood. The expansion gave students a convenient location to train alongside We Energies staff.
In April 2026, We Energies hosted a Community Day for residents at the Metcalfe Park facility to inform them about class and career opportunities.
“We’re proud to partner with MATC to help the next generation build the skills they need for family-supporting careers,” said Michelle Benishek, vice president of field and system operations at We Energies. “This recognition reflects the power of working together — connecting students with hands-on training, opening doors to opportunity and helping build the skilled workforce Wisconsin needs.”
We Energies also has supported MATC through foundation funding, high school internships, career exploration and apprentice hiring. They have pledged more than $200,000 to MATC’s Checota scholarship programs, which help students in trade and technical programs enter the workforce faster.
“By supporting MATC’s Electrical Power Distribution training facility, We Energies is providing students with real-world training and career-ready skills while strengthening Wisconsin’s energy workforce,” said WTCS Interim Board President Lindsay Blumer. “This partnership exemplifies the spirit of the Futuremaker Partner Award.”
The WTCS Board last met at MATC in the fall of 2022, when the college honored Froedtert Health with the Futuremaker Partner Award.
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 35,000 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 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
