High Quality, Great Value: Education for the Whole Community at Chippewa Valley Technical College

Today’s youth have many options pulling their attention toward future careers. Directing their attention toward the high-demand careers west central Wisconsin’s employers seek is critical to the region's quality of life. 

“Manufacturing feeds the economy here,” said Rob Ecker, Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) Associate Dean of Manufacturing and Engineering.

“The economic impact the employees at those companies, along with all the health and human services, education, construction and other functions, bring to this area is critical. CVTC is here to educate, train and upskill individuals to help them and the employers reach their goals and dreams. Our programs are flexible and customized to essentially be able to help anyone who walks through our doors.”

CVTC is one of 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System, serving an 11-county area in west central Wisconsin with campuses in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, Neillsville and River Falls. 

“CVTC is driven in everything we do by our mission to deliver innovative, applied, and flexible education that supports a diverse community of learners, improves the lives of students, and adds value to our communities,” said Lynette Livingston, VP of Academic and Student Affairs. “We seek to deliver high-quality education at a great value by partnering with all the key stakeholders in the region, which is displaced in our variety of delivery options, from traditional courses, night classes and onsite training or being that first stop for individuals interested in completing a bachelors degree elsewhere.”

Career & Technical Education

While February has an extra emphasis as Career & Technical Education (CTE) Month, CVTC offers over 170 programs, certificates and apprenticeships year-round, designed to help individuals obtain good-paying jobs and rewarding careers. The programs fit regional industry needs through employer advisory committees led by CVTC academic leads.

“Twice a year, employers meet with our CVTC academic leads to ensure programs meet their hiring needs,” said Ecker. “We’ve learned laser welding is an emerging trend for many welding shops in the area, so we need to determine how to provide that education in a safe environment."

The flexible, hands-on learning is designed to match fulfilling, high-paying careers with a broad range of individuals, from high school students and existing workforce members to general adult education and English Language Learning. 

“Not only do we teach the hard skills, physical tasks and foundational soft skills necessary on a job site, but we also educate on those critical thinking abilities because every industry is changing very quickly,” said Adam Wehling, Dean of Ag, Energy, Construction and Transportation. “For example, an HVAC technician may need to work with a different refrigerant in four years, so they must be prepared for continuous learning.”

A few of the notable initiatives include:

Dual Credit Programs

Courses are taught by CVTC faculty members with industry experience at their high school, CVTC host site, or CVTC campus. In 2023-24, CVTC awarded 28,799 credits to 6,315 high school students from 61 school districts in dual credit programs, saving them more than $4 million in tuition costs. Students can take career pathway college classes in a CVTC High School Academy to earn high school and college credits. Read about how Lippert, a manufacturer and supplier of engineered products and customized solutions in Altoona, applied this solution to developing a potential workforce stream on their site. 

Some students even complete a college degree BEFORE graduating high school. 

Another example is a student who took classes at the CVTC Healthcare and EMT academies while in high school, eventually earning her Fire Medical associate degree and employment as a Firefighter Paramedic.

“I discovered my passion for emergency services while taking an EMT class at CVTC,” she said. “You receive so much valuable experience, and they bring anecdotal information to the classroom experience."

Career Tours

CVTC arranges two Career Tours on March 11 and April 8 to offer students a glimpse into more than 50 careers at its numerous regional education centers. Students meet at the Eau Claire Business Education Center, where buses take them to different locations for tours on:

• Transportation
• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
• Architecture & Construction
• Emergency Services
• Manufacturing – Tooling, Design, & Process Engineering
• Manufacturing – Fabrication & Automation
• Health Sciences
• Human Services
• Education & Administrative
• Integrated Business, Hospitality & Supply Chain
• Business & Information Technology

Incumbent Workers

CVTC knows area employers desperately want to train their existing workers in new skills to adapt with them. CVTC helps secure grant funding for that training by scoping workforce skill needs while creating a customized training plan and application to fulfill grant guidelines.

Common programs are Wisconsin Fast Forward, Workforce Advancement Training and Wisconsin Act 59, which help promote increased investment by employers in their incumbent workers through customized occupational training and technical college training services.

Make your impact today

The West Central Works team is extremely thankful to partner with institutions like CVTC to help workers and businesses succeed. Whether as an individual looking to turn an interest into a rewarding career or as an employer seeking to upskill its employees, CVTC has a passion for making that dream come true. Connect with West Central Works for more information or view this “Saved by CVTC” video to truly experience the life-changing impact possible in our region.