Gateway Technical College hosted a seminar giving several area high school instructors the skills and equipment to provide training to their students to successfully enter their chosen career or college program.

Called a "train-the-trainer" event because college instructors train high school teachers to better train their students, the July 22 to July 23 session provided nationally certified instruction on Snap-on torque instruments used in a variety of industries. Skills gained by high school teachers allow them to deliver even more real-world instruction to their students which are needed to become college and career ready. 

The session was the same certification training Gateway has offered to instructors from across the country since 2008.

"This type of in-depth training sharpens the instructors' technical knowledge and infused into their classrooms using the new equipment can re-energize their curriculum and students," said Gateway and session instructor Matt Janisin. 

Teachers from the following high schools within the Gateway district participated: Bradford (Kenosha Unified School District), Park and Case (Racine Unified School District), Wilmot Unified, Lake Geneva Badger (Lake Geneva Area Schools), Burlington (Burlington Area Schools), Whitewater (Whitewater Unified School District), Waterford Unified, Union Grove, Westosha Central, Big Foot.

"Empowering instructors with challenging new content can recharge a teacher's batteries and give them something they are excited to share with their students – and not just something else to teach," says Janisin. "The instructor sets the tone in the classroom; if they are excited, so, too, will the students.

"Equipment and training are essential for improving student experiences within the classroom, and building a more skilled and career-ready workforce."

In addition to providing the training at no cost, Gateway in partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers-NC3 donated over $700 worth of Snap-on torque instruments to each of the teachers for improving their high school programs. 

The event was hosted at Gateway's Horizon Center for Transportation Technology. This opportunity was made possible by the strong partnership Gateway has created with Snap-on, Inc. though NC3.

Instructors from the high schools of West Allis Central and West Allis Hale (West Allis-West Milwaukee School District) and Beloit Memorial (School District of Beloit), also participated.