Mid-State Technical College hosted 20 of its K-12 partners from local high schools on Sept. 12 to give updates on the College and the changing workforce landscape. The event was held at the Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering Technology, and Apprenticeship (AMETA™) Center, Mid-State’s cutting-edge training facility, now open and preparing students to join central Wisconsin’s next generation workforce.

According to Jackie Esselman, Mid-State’s dean of Recruitment and Admissions, the AMETA Center and the expansion of post-secondary opportunities for high school students are two ways the College is evolving alongside the changing workforce landscape.

Higher pay for technical skills is one change taking shape. The National Bureau of Economic Research reports that those who are at least 25 years old and in the workforce with a high school diploma but no bachelor’s degree comprise approximately 70 million workers in the U.S. economy, nearly half of today’s workforce.

In Esselman’s breakout session at the meeting, local educators learned that the earning potential of these workers, known as STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes), is beginning to catch up to those with a four-year degree.

“A large gap used to exist between the earning potential of STARs versus bachelor’s degree completers,” Esselman said, noting that this is changing as employers value skills over four-year university credentials. “Mid-State’s Nursing graduates earn the same starting wage as those who graduate with a bachelor's degree in nursing, and they start earning sooner,” she added.

“We’re working together with our K-12 partners to keep the local workforce alive and sustainable,” said Esselman. “High school students can even get started on their path to a high-paying career before graduation, including opportunities in Mid-State’s Nursing Assistant, Construction Trades, Emergency Medical Technician and Stainless Steel Welding programs, youth apprenticeships and more.”

Learn more about opportunities at Mid-State for high school students at mstc.edu/high-school.