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Mid-State Technical College takes tailored roadshow to employers, adults

One-on-one consultations seek to listen, find solutions

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February 3, 2025

NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN – Mid-State Technical College is bringing workforce and adult education services to rural communities now through early June through its first-ever roadshow.

Alex Lendved, dean of the Marshfield Campus and School of Applied Technology, said the Tailored Solutions for Adults and Employers Roadshow targets employers and adults pursuing continuing education.

“It’s our first year at this endeavor,” she said. “We have done something similar in the past like Workforce Wednesdays at our Marshfield Area Chamber Of Commerce along with Walk in Wednesdays for employers that were well-received. We decided (it was time) to expand this opportunity to our surrounding communities.”

Lendved – who has been with Mid-State Technical College for the past 15 years, serving as campus dean for nearly six of those years – said the initiative is part of the college’s larger goal of comprehensive outreach.

“It is part of our mission to serve our four area campuses in the eight-county district with enrollment reaching almost 8,800 students last year,” she said. “Mid-State Technical College has campuses in Adams, Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids.”

Lendved said Mid-State is taking its resources on the road in an effort to eliminate barriers.

“(The roadshow allows us) to get closer to some of our adults who are maybe returning to school and our employers in those rural communities just to make it easier and show them that we are here to support them,” she said.

Varying needs

Lendved said the college’s initiative is a multi-prong effort serving two groups: employers and adults pursuing continuing education.

At each stop, she said Mid-State workforce and adult education experts will be on site to provide customized guidance and will work closely with employers through one-on-one workforce consultations.

Alex Lendved said taking its resources to employers and adult learners “shows them that we are here to support them.” Submitted Photo

“We seek to understand that every business is different, and that’s what we really strive for in these consultations,” she said. “We have our workforce and professional development consultant, Sierra Van Rixel, who sits down one-on-one with that employer and discusses what their needs are. The process starts with an assessment.”

The needs of employers, Lendved said, vary.

“Sometimes, an employer will just need first aid and CPR training,” she said. “Others may need an Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) compliance consultation, while others are looking for conflict resolution or leadership development classes.”

The needs, Lendved said, can also be specific to an industry.

“We also offer some industry-specific training, like electrical, meter reading and welding,” she said. “This is where the initial one-on-one consultation comes in.”  

Lendved said the services Mid-State provides to the community have a revenue implication, too.

“We really pride ourselves in the fact that Mid-State is a tax-based entity, meaning everyone in our community whom we serve sees our name on their tax bill,” she said. “We take that (responsibility) very seriously. We are here to provide that service to people.”

The motivation and responsibility to serve beyond the Marshfield community, Lendved said, is the fuel behind wanting to take this program on the road.

“We wanted to get right to the front door of our adult students and the business community,” she said. “Mid-State has more than 90 academic programs, and when we’re talking about serving our adult and our employer population, we can really draw from any one of those 90 programs.”

Lendved said Mid-State’s Marshfield campus is more heavily weighted in healthcare majors, including phlebotomy, medical information systems and the popular nursing program, which she said ranks fourth on the 2024 Best RN Programs in Wisconsin.

Other sought-after programs, she said, include agriculture, stainless steel welding, firefighter and EMS classes on the Marshfield campus.

Customized guidance

Zachery Edwards, an adult and high school outreach coordinator at Mid-State, said he teams up with students of all ages to understand where they are on their journey.

“I was one of them,” he said. “I was a returning adult learner and had no idea what I was doing at the time. I needed to have my military experience and credits transfer. All of that (needed to be) evaluated.”

Edwards said he and Van Rixel specialize in one-on-one guidance, meeting each student where they are.

“For example, maybe an adult learner took some college credit in high school 10 years ago,” he said. “Now that individual can earn credit for prior learning gained because they have been on the job. Many have no idea how they are going to pay for college.”

The process, Lendved said, can be intimidating, which is where the personal advisor consultations come into play.

“Sometimes our two initiatives, employer and adult learner, merge – which is why we decided to put these two projects together for the roadshow,” she said.

Oftentimes during conversations with employers, Lendved said they discuss employees of theirs who may be interested in the leadership program for adult learning and ask “How can I get them started?”

“We help companies with team-building, formalized leadership training and managing conflict resolution strategies,” she said. “We work closely with human resource departments. We also specialize in workplace enrichment like hosting culinary arts classes. Having fun at work is key, too.”

Lendved said some workplaces are going through a technical upgrade “so we also offer workforce training in transitions.”

Tailored guidance

Lendved said the roadshow program, and prior initiatives through the chamber, have been well-received.

Probably the greatest obstacle, she said, is time.

Alex Lendved

“We understand how busy our employers and our adult learners are,” she said. “They juggle work, family and all of their other responsibilities. Even though we are traveling to their community, they still might be too busy. We provide coffee and donuts so folks can make up some time in their mornings. We are providing to-go lunches for those making time for us during their lunch hours.”

Before launching the roadshow, Lendved said Mid-State did some homework to justify the program – with the college’s advisory community conducting listening sessions to help put the plan in place. 

“On each of our campuses and for all our programs, we have advisory committees – which are made up of employees and employers within our district – and during those sessions, we simply listen,” she said. “The intent is to do our best to get out into the community.”

Lendved said that starts with understanding each student’s situation and trying to find a program that they’re passionate about and that can fit their schedule.

“An adult learner may express interest in health care but has no desire to be in direct patient care,” she said. “Then maybe that person is better suited for health information management or medical records. Our advisors are great at asking, ‘Tell me more about what you are passionate about.’”

The remaining roadshows, Lendved said, are as follows:

  • Feb. 5, from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Auburndale Village Shelter
  • March 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Paulie’s Diner in Pittsville
  • April 2, from 12:30-2 p.m. at the Granton Community Library
  • May 7, from 8:30-10 a.m. at Paulie’s Diner in Pittsville
  • June 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Auburndale Village Shelter

For more information on Mid-State Technical College’s Tailored Solutions for Adults and Employers Roadshow, visit mstc.edu/right-here. 

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