High school manufacturing program has classes in the workplace

Menomonee Falls — Not many high school students can say that a manufacturing company is their classroom — and their workplace — but that’s the case for about 25 students this year at Bradley Corp.

The company, which makes commercial plumbing fixtures, is one of the latest Wisconsin manufacturers to join GPS Education Partners, a Butler-based program that enables high school students to complete their studies at a company while they gain work experience.

If that sounds demanding, it is. GPS students are in classes for 21 months, without spring or summer breaks, as they finish their junior and senior years of high school.

At Bradley Corp., classes are held in a company training room — with subjects such as writing, math and social studies taught by a state certified teacher in a way that integrates the lessons with real-world experiences.

The students are from high schools in Menomonee Falls, Germantown and Sussex. To graduate, they have to complete the same requirements as other high school students, in addition to their GPS obligation that includes work in manufacturing and community service.

It’s different, not easier, than regular high school, said Bernie McCarthy, the lead GPS instructor at Bradley Corp.

Outside the classroom, the students spend about five hours a day in a paid job at Bradley Corp. or another area manufacturer. They work on assembly-line teams, and in other positions, with adult employees as their mentors and supervisors.

“A big portion of what they are learning is being taught by mentors who see them as colleagues and young adults,” McCarthy said.

The program is aimed at addressing a shortage of manufacturing workers that’s expected to worsen as more employees reach retirement age and fewer young people step in to take their place.

Companies say that today’s manufacturing jobs are a sharp contrast to years ago when some industries relied on low-skilled help and working conditions were poor. Now, companies have to convince parents that sending their children to work in a factory could lead to a promising career.

“I think a lot of parents don’t realize how much it’s changed,” said Diane Rudy, vice president of human resources at Bradley Corp.

“This is our way of getting that message out, to look at manufacturing in a new light,” Rudy said.

The GPS students complete their junior- and senior-year classes in a company classroom supported by online lessons. They receive a high school diploma from their hometown school district.

During their first year in the program, they get experience in several manufacturing jobs to gauge their interests.

The second year is more focused on a particular job with increasingly higher skills. There’s an opportunity to earn industry certifications, as a regular company employee would earn, and advanced standing toward a technical college degree.

“It’s real-life experience that these kids are going to get at a young age,” said Bradley Corp. CEO Bryan Mullett.

Gaining real-world experience

Statewide, GPS says that more than 100 businesses, 44 high schools and six technical colleges are participating in the program that was started in 2000 at Generac Corp., in Waukesha.

Ten of the companies, including Bradley Corp., have on-site classrooms for academic instruction and offer work experience. Other companies don’t have the classrooms but provide jobs.

Students enrolled in an earlier version of the program, called Second Chance Partners for Education, were chosen because they struggled with, or were disengaged from, a traditional high school environment. GPS has broadened its reach to include juniors and seniors of all academic standing.

“We want a well-developed workforce,” Rudy said.

The GPS class of 2015 had a 92% graduation rate, a total of 83 graduates, with students accepted to various colleges and technical schools around the state.

Since its inception, the program has graduated about 500 students. That’s not a large number for 16 years, but GPS says two-thirds of its success has been in the last eight years as the program has added more businesses.

Initially it was slow-paced growth, intentionally, as the program developed its methods, said Stephanie Borowski, GPS president.

“We now have, on average, 100-plus graduates a year. That is certainly on a growth trajectory, but our goal is to reach thousands of students, ” Borowski said.

About 20% of the graduates haven’t pursued a career in manufacturing. That’s not necessarily bad, according to GPS, because those students still gained experience that will help them in other fields.

The program uses a blend of online instruction, group projects and other means of delivering lessons tailored to a student’s strengths, needs and interests.

“It’s not like regular school at all. I like it a lot more,” said Jonathan Thomas, a Menomonee Falls High School junior who works at Bradley Corp. as part of his GPS experience.

Thomas is at Bradley Corp. from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, but says he still has time to participate in high school sports. He believes the program has enhanced his career choices.

“I can still go to college … or I will have the experience to go right to work,” Thomas said.

Colton Birkigt, a GPS student and junior at Germantown High School, says he’s considering a career in the automotive industry. He likes the work experience aspect of the program.

“I do something new every day, which is cool … and they put an emphasis on treating us like adults,” Birkigt said.

Many of the graduates have gone on to work for the companies where they received their training.

That was the case for Ethan Moldenhauer of West Bend, who graduated from GPS in May.

Now, he works part time at Gruber Tool & Die, in West Bend, while he’s a full-time student at Moraine Park Technical College.

Moldenhauer is studying to become an electrician. He said the most valuable part of his GPS experience was the variety of jobs he had at three manufacturers.

“That’s what I was looking for,” he said.

McCarthy, the Bradley Corp. teacher, previously taught in the GPS program in West Bend. He also taught in traditional school settings but said he prefers the smaller class size and novel approach that GPS brings to education.

“Here, you get to really know the kid, their family, and their situations they bring to the classroom. I like that,” he said.