Hamilton to Continue Participating in School-to-Work Program

The will continue its participation in the Waukesha County School-to-Work Consortium in the 2011-12 school year.

The School Board has approved continuing the plan next year due to continued successes the district has seen in student participants.

“The Waukesha County School-to-Work Consortium provides our district with the grant funding that helps support co-op youth apprenticeship, work experience programs and K-12 related initiatives,” said Pete Ferge, associate principal and extended learning opportunities coordinator. “In addition, the consortium acts as a governing body that assists in education for employment and strategic planning efforts.”

The program, which is coordinated by Waukesha County Technical College, gives students in 12 area districts the opportunity to earn credits for programs offered by WCTC.

Ferge said 50 to 75 Hamilton students participate in the program each school year.

While the consortium’s health care program had been one of the most popular ones, he said rules put in place by the state Department of Workforce Development several years ago dictating usage of lifts has “devastated” the program and only four students participated in it this year.

Lifts are used to lift patients and state rules dictate that you must be 18 to use the equipment. 

Ferge said the districts are in constant contact with the state regarding the rules and are working to get them changed soon.

“I wish the powers that be could understand that the lifts these students are using are different than forklifts,” board member Deborah Briggs said.