{"id":1802,"date":"2025-04-04T15:20:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T20:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/m-cubed\/?p=1802"},"modified":"2025-04-28T16:03:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T21:03:08","slug":"mps-students-explore-career-options-at-matc-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/m-cubed\/news\/mps-students-explore-career-options-at-matc-event\/","title":{"rendered":"MPS Students Explore Career Options at MATC Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

M\u00b3 (M-Cubed) connected sophomores to professional opportunities at college\u2019s four campuses<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nicole Alvarado settled into the seat of the big rig, buckled her seat belt and clenched the steering wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She turned the key and the semitruck surged to life. She shifted into drive and slowly stepped on the gas. The truck glided into traffic and picked up speed, cruising past one car, then another, and then through an intersection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly a school bus appeared. Alvarado slammed on the brakes, but she was a tad too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truck\u2019s front windshield loudly splintered and cracked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCOLLISION!!!\u201d flashed on the screen of the trucking simulator, one of five used by Milwaukee Area Technical College\u2019s Truck Driving program at the college\u2019s Oak Creek Campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alvarado, a sophomore at Milwaukee Public Schools\u2019 Ronald Reagan High School, and her friends squealed with laughter. Thanks to the simulator, they got to see what it takes to be a professional truck driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Alvarado said with a laugh. \u201cMaybe this isn\u2019t for me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alvarado was one of nearly 1,500 sophomores from 20 MPS high schools who got information about the careers and educational opportunities available at MATC at \u201cExplore Your Future,\u201d a day-long event held Thursday, March 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event is part of the M\u00b3 (pronounced M-Cubed) initiative, an innovative collaboration among MATC, MPS, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Its goals include ensuring student success, meeting the needs of the region\u2019s business and industry, and improving the well-being of Wisconsin residents, their families and communities. In December, 9th-grade students from MPS visited University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campuses as part of the partnership.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students toured classrooms and labs at the Downtown Milwaukee, Mequon, Oak Creek and West Allis campuses, and heard instructors discuss the college\u2019s programs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Oak Creek Campus, Alvarado and others tried out the trucking simulators while instructor Dan Zdrojewski explained the benefits of truck driving as a career. \u201cWe need drivers,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the simulators, the college\u2019s Truck Driving program is using a newly paved and configured road course in front of the Oak Creek Campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Welding program lab at Oak Creek, students used computer simulators to weld a pipe and design metal flowers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing what\u2019s out there is really good,\u201d said Yaretzi Carresco, another sophomore from Ronald Reagan. \u201cIt\u2019s never too early to start thinking about what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, students from Golda Meir and Hamilton high schools saw robotics in action at the college\u2019s Electronics Technology Lab. In the Culinary Arts classroom, students watched instructor Paul Carrier whip up pancakes, chicken tenders, french fries and spicy rice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe good thing about culinary classes is that you\u2019re always going to get fed,\u201d Carrier told a group of students. \u201cYou\u2019ll never go hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Electricity program lab, students stripped electric wires and connected them to an outlet. In the Al Hurvis\/PEAK Transportation Center, students used a pneumatic wrench to remove the lug nuts on the college\u2019s PEAK high-performance race car. They also heard about in-demand automotive careers that can pay up to $50 an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn our auto classes, you will do some book work, but you will do a lot of hands-on learning because that\u2019s when you really learn,\u201d said Scott Fisler, an automotive maintenance instructor. \u201cYou can read all about how to swim, but if you get thrown into the water, will you be able to do it right away?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one of the machining labs, instructor Patrick Hanson explained the value of learning how to operate a computer numerical control (CNC) machine that shapes metal and other materials into components. \u201cAnyone can use these machines to make junk,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at MATC, you will learn how they can make good parts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These tours give students early exposure to the college\u2019s 180 programs taught in state-of-the-art facilities where students get hands-on instruction, and that empowers them to make informed decisions about their future, said Nutan Amrute, MATC\u2019s interim director of student career, employment and transfer. M3 held a similar event<\/strong><\/a> last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ronald Reagan student Naecie Ramirez was almost overwhelmed by the amount of information she received during the day. She had thought about being a nurse, but now, after seeing other jobs and careers, she\u2019s not so sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis gave me a whole lot to think about,\u201d she said. \u201cBut having choices is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See more photos from the event<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About M\u00b3 (pronounced M-Cubed): <\/em><\/strong>M\u00b3 seeks to transform the future of Milwaukee through education. By collaborating, coordinating and partnering, MPS, MATC and 51ÁÔÆæ will increase the retention, graduation and career success of our students and provide a prepared workforce and citizenry for Wisconsin and its economy. M\u00b3 will also provide the education and resources to help drive an entrepreneurial mindset for all students to increase choices and opportunities for growth. Find out more at <\/em>https:\/\/uwm.edu\/m-cubed\/<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Feldmann, feldmam1@matc.edu – March 25, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

M\u00b3 (M-Cubed) connected sophomores to professional opportunities at college\u2019s four campuses Nicole Alvarado settled into the seat of the big rig, buckled her seat belt and clenched the steering wheel. She turned the key and the semitruck surged to life. She shifted into drive and slowly stepped on the gas. The truck glided into traffic<\/p>\nRead more<\/a>","protected":false},"author":33600,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMPS Students Explore Career Options at MATC Event - M cubed - MATC, 51ÁÔÆæ, MPS Collaboration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/m-cubed\/news\/mps-students-explore-career-options-at-matc-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MPS Students Explore Career Options at MATC Event\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"M\u00b3 (M-Cubed) connected sophomores to professional opportunities at college\u2019s four campuses Nicole Alvarado settled into the seat of the big rig, buckled her seat belt and clenched the steering wheel. 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