Northeast Wisconsin Technical College


Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is a public technical college with multiple locations in Wisconsin. The college serves nine Wisconsin counties with three campuses in Green Bay, Marinette, and Sturgeon Bay and five regional learning centers in Shawano, Oconto Falls, Crivitz, Aurora and Luxemburg. It is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college serves approximately 41,500 students annually.

History

Wisconsin's technical colleges were founded to train the work force. In the early 1900s, most workers in Wisconsin received their education through the apprenticeship system - both job skills and academic skills. In order to standardize the education that these working young adults received in reading, writing, and math, the state of Wisconsin promoted the creation of city vocational schools. Schools sprang up in Green Bay and Marinette in 1912, followed in 1941 by a school in Sturgeon Bay. Their scope expanded to include adults of all ages who were interested in technical careers, whether in the work force or not. In 1968, the three schools merged to become a single district in the Wisconsin Technical College System, serving part or all of nine counties under the name Northeast Wisconsin Technical Institute. This name was changed in the late 1980s to Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.

Academics

NWTC offers over 100 associate degrees, technical diplomas and apprenticeships, and 84 certificates. The college also offers employee training, technical assistance and consulting through the Corporate Training and Economic Development department; in 2010-2011, NWTC served 1,084 businesses with customized training either on site or in the classroom, training 20,083 employees.