Menomonee Valley Partners is working with local schools to help students understand how their interests—from math to art to fixing things—translate into jobs in growing fields in the Menomonee River Valley. In November, more than 50 students from Milwaukee high schools visited Valley companies through Career Discovery Initiative programs: Manufacturing Career Day, Young Women in the Trades, and Young Women in STEM-Manufacturing.
On Wednesday, November 6, more than 20 students from Tenor High School spoke with professionals from Ingeteam and Charter Wire about what their day-to-day jobs look like, as well as pathways to those careers. At this Manufacturing Career Day, Employees explained the training and skills necessary for jobs in high-demand professions like manufacturing and gave students a tour of the factory floor to see what modern manufacturing looks like, often different than the dirty and dark environments that historically come to mind. Afterwards, students asked questions about how their current interests can lead to a good-paying career in the nearby Menomonee River Valley.
On Friday, November 8, JM Brennan partnered with Menomonee Valley Partners to host Young Women in the Trades, which brought more than 30 students from St. Joan Antida High School to the mechanical contractor to learn from women currently practicing in fields in which they have traditionally been underrepresented—including plumbing, engineering, and the skilled trades. Students met with professionals to hear about the challenges, opportunities, and potential of careers in the trades.
On Tuesday, November 12, the Young Women in STEM - Manufacturing event hosted 15 students from Tenor High School and Veritas. Mentors from Cargill, Zimmerman, Rexnord, Harley-Davidson Museum, We Energies, JM Brennan, and Ingeteam spoke with students at Rexnord Industries. The close-knit setting allowed for deep dialogue and students left saying it was the best field trip they had ever been on.
The majority of students don’t feel like school has helped them to decide on a career—54% according to a national survey conducted by YouthTruth. 32% of students won’t attend college (US Bureau of Labor Statistics), which means that many young people will be making a decision about their future careers without feeling prepared. Menomonee Valley Partners is working with local schools to help students understand how their interests—from math to art to fixing things—translate into jobs in growing fields nearby. With hundreds of job openings in the Menomonee River Valley every day, students can make connections and learn about pathways to careers through the Career Discovery Initiative.
In the last year, the Career Discovery Initiative has served over 300 students with 36 Menomonee River Valley companies participating. The initiative is currently funded by the generous support of Bader Philanthropies and BMO Harris Bank.
