Robert Anderson is just 17 years old, and already two years into his career. He’s training to become a line mechanic at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and dreams of working at We Energies.
“I started the We Energies youth internship program my junior year [of high school] and I grew to appreciate the work that the guys do to keep our power on, and I thought that I’d like to do that too,” Anderson said.
Thanks to a groundbreaking partnership between We Energies, MATC, the City of Milwaukee and many others, he’s able to pursue that dream in his hometown at the new Electrical Power Distribution Training Center located in Milwaukee’s Metcalfe Park neighborhood.
“This is a powerful example of how collaboration can drive real change,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “Together we’re paving the way for success, not just for those individuals, but for their families, for their neighborhoods and, really, the entire city of Milwaukee.”
To mark the one-year anniversary of the new campus, community partners gathered at the training center in the heart of Milwaukee to celebrate. A dozen students climbed electrical poles and released confetti while organizers cut an orange and blue ribbon. We Energies President Mike Hooper called it a big day for both the utility and the people it serves.
“This will be a catalyst to more and more opportunities to grow a local workforce that serves our local communities,” Hooper said. “It creates a foundation for everything from livelihood to great customer service.”
This celebration has been years in the making. The new campus combines land owned by We Energies and the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee. In addition, We Energies dedicated a portion of its Metro North facility, located at 31st Street and North Avenue, and donated a trailer for classroom instruction, yard space for field instruction, and significant financial support for the program.
“I’m really, really proud of the work being done by We Energies, MATC and all of the partners involved to help create pathways to young people for a job that is more than family-sustaining,” said David Polk, director of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards. “We Energies is one of our largest registered apprenticeship providers statewide.”
Everyone involved in the project shares the hope that the new campus will make it easier than ever for the next generation to start imagining a future for themselves.
“People can have access right where they live,” said Danell Cross, executive director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges. “Young people who aren’t even old enough to be in this program can be dreaming about the day that they can be a part of this program and bring in real money.”
“I am a firm believer that you cannot be what you cannot see,” agreed Jennifer Buchanan, We Energies youth internship and apprenticeship director. “It’s a huge deal to have these poles, these students in the neighborhood. It gives them something to look forward to, to plan for.”
It’s a huge deal for the men and women who made the campus a reality, too. Dave Megna is the senior vice president of field and system operations at We Energies and a proud MATC alumnus. He thanked the many We Energies contractors who stepped up and made their own contributions to the campus.
“With the cooperation of everyone involved, we thought we could probably do just about anything,” he said. “And we did.”