State supt., workforce secretary visit MPS’ Bradley Tech ‘Tech Terns’ at Froedtert construction site
Partnership involves Cannon Design, Mortenson Construction, the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/BIG STEP, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and MPS
State Superintendent Tony Evers and Department of Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson joined Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Thornton Thursday, February 13, 2014, to see the “Tech Terns” program offered at MPS’ Bradley Tech High School in action.
This innovative program includes a two-year curriculum that enables students to explore and perform hands-on work in the design, construction, and operation of a building currently under construction: the 480,000-square-foot Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Center for Advanced Care.
Organizers believe this is a first-of-its-kind career pathway development program in the United States.
Eighteen Tech Terns high school students are spending their junior and senior years learning both in the classroom and on the construction site to discover more about the roles of various professionals in a creating a major medical facility.
From architecture and engineering to plumbing, interior design, and heavy machinery operations, the program enables students to explore a range of careers, including those requiring apprenticeship, two- or four-year degrees, or a combination of postsecondary experiences.
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin physicians, nurses, administrators — and even a transplant patient — have served as guest speakers, giving students the additional opportunity to learn more about career opportunities in health care.
Tech Terns is a partnership involving Cannon Design, Mortenson Construction, the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/BIG STEP, Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin and MPS. Architects, construction managers, technical and trades people, and hospital employees developed the curriculum, serve as on-site instructors, and collaborate with the Milwaukee Public Schools Career and Technical Education program and Bradley Tech.
