MATC emphasizes meeting employer needs with adoption of new planning tool

Inside the Industry: MATC

For more than a century, Milwaukee Area Technical College has delivered highly skilled workers and highly prepared professionals to area employers.

To sustain and strengthen that mission, MATC has developed its first Academic Multiyear Plan (AMP), a comprehensive, long-range educational blueprint that incorporates labor market trends from our region and data to ensure the college’s programs align with what area businesses need during the next three years.

“The world around us changes rapidly, and our faculty and staff are approaching the institutional academic vision from a ‘jobs of the future’ perspective while embracing education that leads to jobs through innovative technical, hands-on, and/or transfer pathways,” said Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus, MATC’s executive vice president, student success. 

MATC leaders, administrators and faculty developed the AMP using population demographics, enrollment forecasts, industry data, labor trends, economic analytics and employer demand analyses.

“Using business insights and trends is key for an institution like ours,” said Barbara Cannell, MATC’s dean of academic services. “Being responsive, flexible and agile with our programs is key to our success. We need to be able to pivot quickly and decisively. This plan will help us do that and to meet the needs of our area employers.”

According to the AMP, programs expected to see strong enrollment growth are in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), such as IT support technicians, service center technicians and programmers. Programs expected to have high employment demand include culinary arts, home health, medical informatics, nursing, education, and energy systems management.

“The vision and guidance provided through this plan positions MATC to continually transform lives as we strive to be the best choice in the region for education, lift up our individual students and meet the workforce needs of regional employers,” Gonzalez-De Jesus said.

700 W. State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233

(414) 297-MATC (6282) •  matc.edu

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Mark Feldmann, Milwaukee Area Technical College
Mark Feldmann is MATC’s copywriter/storyteller. He holds a journalism degree from Marquette University, and has more than 30 years of writing and editing experience. Feldmann has worked at daily newspapers in Illinois, New York and Wisconsin, and has delivered a wide variety of corporate communications, including news releases, website copy and marketing collateral.

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