The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Council of Small Business Executives is raising $75,000 to help GPS Education Partners open its first education center in the City of Milwaukee.
The Make 8|8 Great campaign aims to collect the funds, which will cover the first year of operation, from small businesses in Milwaukee by August 8. GPS will open a center at Strattec Security Corp., 3333 W. Good Hope Road, in September.
GPS is a nonprofit that provides high school juniors and seniors with work-based education programs at businesses in the manufacturing sector. Students take classes in an on-site education center, then apply the lessons to training on the manufacturing floor.
“With our involvement in the MMAC’s Manufacturing Careers Partnership [a coalition of manufacturers committed to education and workforce development], this partnership with GPS Education Partners truly is an extension of our commitment to education in our community, manufacturing as an industry, and our region as a whole, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to support this initiative,” said Kathy Scherbarth, vice president of Milwaukee operations, aftermarket and commercial sales at Strattec.
The other businesses participating in the statewide program for the fall semester, through employment and financial contributions, are Monarch LLC, Huf North America, Wagner Companies, Super Steel, Danfoss, Brady Corp. and Paper Machinery Corp.
“We have worked with GPS Education Partners and helped multiple students on their path to successful careers after high school,” said David Mitchell, president and CEO of Monarch LLC. “One of those students chose to stay on board with us as a welder and is becoming one of our top employees. Even if you can’t sponsor a student at your company, making a financial contribution to help GPS open another education center will strengthen our greater Milwaukee community and help create a better environment for your business to grow.”
For more information about the campaign, click here.
