Seventeen high schools in the state of Wisconsin received a $12,212 grant from the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program. Wilmot Union High School was one of the 17 selected and has already put the grant to great use.
The current round of Wisconsin Fast Forward grants from the Department of Workforce Development totals $408,123 for school districts across the state to train students for career paths involving robotics, welding, plasma cutting, 3D printing and drones. The grants reimburse school districts for the cost of purchasing and installing technical education equipment used for vocational training and technical education in advanced manufacturing fields.
At Wilmot, the grant was used to purchase a Snap-on Precision Measuring Certification Kit to provide students with an industry-recognized certification for precision measuring tools in manufacturing.
Jeff Kehoe, a teacher in the technology and engineering department at Wilmot who wrote the grant, said the grant will help students who are struggling with precision measuring, a foundational skill for most trades.
“One of the things we know most students struggle with is precision measuring skills,” he said. “This will get us down to the precision that we need for some of those manufacturing jobs.”
Kehoe said the department plans to utilize the kit in all the entry level classes.
“Depending upon enrollment, we’re looking at 150 to 200 students a year that would be going through and taking the certifications,” he said.
Read more at the Kenosha News.