Gateway Technical College is taking applications for a new program that will provide industry-focused skills for young adults with diagnosed level one autism.
The Uniquely Abled Academy at Gateway offers the training to complete a CNC Advanced Operator certificate. Funded by a Wisconsin Workforce Development grant and scholarships through the Gene Haas Foundation facilitated by the Gateway Technical College Foundation, qualified students will only have to pay about $700 of the $3,200 program. CNC operators with this certificate can expect pay of up to $35 an hour at some area companies.
Offered at Gateway through its Business and Workforce Solutions division, Uniquely Abled Academies have been developed nationally through The Uniquely Abled Project. The programs offered at other technical colleges have been very successful.
“This program will lay the foundation for a career or to further their education,” said Mark Kappes, dean of the Business and Workforce Solutions division. “There is a great need for CNC operators locally which will continue to grow as 40 percent to 50 percent of this workforce is expected to retire in the next 10 years.”
Students will receive additional educational support and job placement services designed for them, extra classes to teach the needed workplace soft skills and intensive support from the college’s Student Accommodations and Accessibility Services team, which includes advising, tutoring and more.
Kappes does point out, though, that students will still receive the same rigorous and quality instruction available to every Gateway student who enrolls in this certificate program.
“We will have resources available to assist students, but the qualifications to earn the certificate will be the same,” said Kappes.
“Just like our mission statement says, we are making sure that we deliver industry-focused education that is flexible, accessible and affordable for our diverse community. This program ultimately does that.”
Applications are currently being taken for the program, which begins in November. Class size will be limited to 16 students and the program will run Nov. 4 until Feb. 18. Classes will be held in Gateway’s SC Johnson iMET Center in Sturtevant.
For more information and to apply:
www.gtc.edu/programs/certificates/cnc-advanced-operator