We Energies is honored to accept the Futuremaker Partner Award from Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) board.

The prestigious honor is awarded to businesses and organizations that have built long-standing partnerships with Wisconsin technical colleges.

“We Energies is an outstanding partner in education and job training,” said Dr. Anthony Cruz, president of MATC. “They support MATC students with career exploration programs, scholarship support, apprenticeships, training and employment opportunities. We are honored to recognize We Energies with the Futuremaker Award.”

We Energies and the We Energies Foundation have partnered with MATC for decades.

The We Energies Foundation has pledged more than $200,000 to the technical college’s Checota scholarship program, which helps students in trade programs enter the workforce faster.

In 2023, We Energies partnered with MATC and the City of Milwaukee to expand the school’s Electrical Power Distribution program by opening a new training facility in Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood.

Empowering the next generation

LaRelle Jackson is living proof of how transformative the partnership between MATC and We Energies has been.

At just 19 years old, Jackson is already three years into his career as a line mechanic for We Energies.

“Growing up, I didn’t really know much about blue collar work or anything trades-wise. I wanted to be a firefighter,” Jackson said.

Jackson was hired as a We Energies youth line mechanic intern his junior year of high school. He spent two summers getting paid to learn what it takes to build, maintain and repair the electrical grid before his graduation in 2025.

He was awarded a Checota scholarship to help him attend MATC’s new Metcalfe Park campus and graduated with a technical degree in 2026. Within days, he was hired as a Step 1 line mechanic apprentice at We Energies.

“We’re proud to partner with MATC to help the next generation build the skills they need for family-supporting careers,” said Michelle Benishek, vice president — field and system operations at We Energies. “This recognition reflects the power of working together — connecting students with hands-on training, opening doors to opportunity and strengthening Wisconsin’s workforce.”

To learn more about the We Energies field youth internships and apprenticeships, read this article from Wisconsin Public Radio.