Waukesha County Technical College, one of 16 Colleges part of the Wisconsin Technical College System, has been a leader of workforce development and training in Southeastern Wisconsin for more than a century. The College is focused on educating students for in-demand jobs and contributing to the economy by providing skilled workers to fill critical roles within business and industry.
Today, tens of thousands of students are honored to call themselves WCTC graduates, and the College currently enrolls more than 18,000 students annually.
Students come to WCTC from all backgrounds and at all stages of their lives. WCTC has a number of programs in place for high school students who want to get a jump-start on their post secondary studies – and even earn a credential – before they graduate from high school. This includes a variety of dual-credit options, such as Dual Enrollment Academy, Start College Now, Youth Apprenticeships and Transcripted Credit. Additionally, the WCTC Excelerate initiative allows qualified, current high school juniors and seniors ages 16 and older to apply to a full College program — just like any other student.
“At the beginning of our second century, we are focused on the horizon and intentionally leading higher education into the future,” — Rich Barnhouse, Ph.D.
For traditional-age students, as well as nontraditional students (those 25 and older), WCTC has flexible learning options and schedules – in-class instruction, online and hybrid options — along with a number of resources to help students achieve academic and career success.
WCTC boasts 170-plus areas of study that lead to certificates, technical diplomas, apprenticeships and associate degrees in a variety of fields. These are housed within five schools: Applied Technologies, Arts and Sciences, Business, Health, and Protective and Human Services.
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More than 1,400 industry professionals serve on 60 program advisory committees that help guide the curriculum and ensure that what is taught in the classroom reflects employer expectations. In adding programming options, WCTC looks at future trends and areas for growth. For example, in fall 2024, WCTC will be the first technical college in the state to offer an artificial intelligence (AI) associate degree, positioning itself as a leader in AI training. Additionally, WCTC offers short-term certificates in AI, along with workshops for business people and entrepreneurs, and will soon be opening an applied AI center.
Beyond academic programming, the College’s Corporate Training Center (CTC) provides accessible professional development training to strengthen businesses and organizations across Waukesha County.
Rich Barnhouse, Ph.D., president of WCTC, said as the College continues to expand relationships with local businesses, industry and higher education partners, WCTC will see more growth.
