Community Corner

Baldwin Visit Highlights Bootcamp Programs

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) visited the SC Johnson iMET (Integrated Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology) building Wednesday to get better acquainted with the bootcamp programs that help put students into careers.

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Baldwin will help oversee the re-authorization of the Workforce Investment Act. She said visiting the iMEt building at Gateway Technical College allows her to see one piece of the puzzle of getting Americans back to work. Meeting with employers is another big piece she said helps inform her work in Washington.

“These visits will help me on the committee craft strong legislation,” she said. “My goal is that our committee’s name - HELP - earns its name by making a real difference.”

Gordie Kacala, executive director of the Racine County Economic Development Corporation, also spoke with the senator, explaining more about the partnership between local agencies and companies that make the bootcamp programs like CNC operation and welding available with such a high employment rate for graduates.

"It's a model that helps solve employment shortages," he said.

Baldwin said she understands the connection in public and private partnerships and the void they can fill.

“I learned a lot on this tour and my time at other schools across the state,” she said. “We have to think more creatively because of these fiscal times, but the truth even in a strong economy is that if we neglect education, we don’t grow. Education is essential to economic development and growth.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Mount Pleasant-Sturtevant