NOSD leads effort to create tech college academy

Five area high schools, including Ozaukee and Port Washington, are embarking on a new program to give students a jumpstart on careers in the trades.

The Northern Ozaukee School District led the effort to create the Moraine Park Technical College High School Career and Trades Academies, which has juniors and seniors in high school attend classes at MPTC in West Bend.

About a year ago, Ozaukee High School Principal Matt Zavada, Northern Ozaukee School District Supt. Dave Karrels and the School Board identified a need for students in the skilled trades.

“What can we do to provide them opportunities while they’re here with us in high school?” Zavada asked.

Ozaukee High has a technical education program, but it only goes so far.

“We have things where students can develop a base knowledge,” Zavada said. “MPTC has a state-of-the-art facility and instructors who have worked in the program.”

He also contacted area school districts to gauge their interest in a partnership.

“Being small, we can’t create enough for (MPTC) to provide programs,” Zavada said.

Port Washington, Random Lake, West Bend and Campbellsport got on board.

Port High Principal Rachel Biertzer said the school has a foundry, welding and construction courses, and the MPTC program could take that a step further.

“Their facilities were recently upgraded. Students will be working on industry-standard equipment with instructors who have been in the industry,” she said. “It’s hard to equip our classrooms with that.”

In addition, Zavada involved employers  who said they are in need of qualified job candidates.

MPTC has developed programming and a schedule based on feedback from the schools and employers, he said.

“In terms of thinking outside the box, this is about as good as it gets,” Zavada said.

Academies in three trades will initially be offered. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning is one. Robotics, engineering and manufacturing is another and welding is the third.

Those are slated to start in fall. Zavada said expansion in 2028 to electricity, computer-numeric-controlled tool and die technology and electromechanical technology is planned.

The academies would be run through the state’s Start College Now program, which allows high school students to attend technical colleges.

“Usually it’s a one-year program,” Zavada said. “What’s unique is now it’s a two-year program where a student could start junior year.”

Students could become youth apprentices and spend some school days at an employer. The rest of the time could be spent at MPTC or their high schools.

“What it sets them up for is graduating with a certification with industry credential,” Zavada said

“Maybe it’s a job with that company coming right out of high school,” Bietzer said. “How cool would that be?”

The cost to the Northern Ozaukee School District would be about $3,000 per student, but employers might help pay for youth apprentices, Zavada said.

“They’re willing to commit to that employee. They’re willing to invest,” he said.

Classes required to graduate, such as math and English, could be incorporated into some of the classes at MPTC, Zavada said.

This is nearly the exact same setup of Cedar Grove-Belgium School District’s three-year-old charter school in Belgium, Rocket Academy.

The MPTC program, however, allows students to remain at their high schools with access to extracurricular activities while the Rocket Academy requires students to open enroll to the Cedar Grove-Belgium School District.

Biertzer said keeping those extracurricular opportunities is important.

“That was a big part of the conversation, to be able to be a member of their school,” she said.

Zavada said Ozaukee has lost five students to Rocket Academy in the past three years, and Biertzer said Port has lost multiple students as well.

While Zavada said he would rather see a student find what he or she needs, “it shows we’re lacking somewhere. How can we keep them in a high-quality program?”

Biertzer said, “It’s a day and age where you don’t want to lose kids to open enrollment. What are some opportunities we can offer too?”