Madison, WI, Region Technical Programs Ready Students

Michael P. King

There’s no doubt that one of life’s most impactful decisions is where you choose to go to college. And while a traditional four-year college degree is still popular, the merits of technical education are seeing a well-deserved renaissance. Area schools, like Moraine Park Technical College, Blackhawk Technical College, Madison Area Technical College and University of Wisconsin–Madison, offer multiple technical education programs designed to prepare Madison, WI, Region, students for in-demand careers with fast-growing industries. 

Madison, WI, Region Technical Programs Provide Opportunties

While a traditional college education typically focuses heavily on classroom instruction, technical programs in the Madison, WI, Region include ample opportunities for students to get hands-on practice in their field of study. Natalie Condon, a biotechnology student pursuing an associate of applied science degree at Madison Area Technical College, says her education allowed her to focus solely on classes in her field. 

“I have access to all the equipment that I need, and I get to understand how this piece of equipment works,” Condon says. “It’s not just the theory of how this equipment works.” 

Condon also emphasizes that it’s the hands-on experiences she appreciates the most. 

“Students in bachelor’s programs might understand the theory behind how something works, but I know how to do the procedures, and I’ve had the experience of doing it and learning from people in the industry,” Condon says. “The way the classes are structured, I don’t feel like I’m taking a class that doesn’t relate at all to what I’m doing. All of the classes are worth my time and worth my effort.” 

Rather than being just another seat in the classroom, Condon says she shares close relationships with her professors, ones that don’t compare to relationships she’s had in other education settings. 

“All of the professors know me by name, and if I’m really struggling with something, they will figure out ways to either explain it differently or help me get some extra practice in,” she says. “Those relationships are huge for me.” 

Graduating in spring 2024, Condon has already landed a part-time job related to her field, working in the Environmental Toxicology Department at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene. 

Technical Education Programs Help Students Save

Jake Keyes, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Turfgrass Apprenticeship Program, echoes many of the same sentiments as Condon. 

For him, the program was further education for a job he already had lined up. 

“I come from a lawn care background, primarily focusing on fertilization and weed control. I took the class to better my understanding of the industry and ultimately take over my family’s business,” he says. “The program was extremely beneficial for me because it helped me learn more about soil composition, which I didn’t know about beforehand.” 

Keyes adds that Madison, WI, Region technical education programs offer savings in terms of cost and time. 

“I’ve spent a lot less money paying for two semesters of college than I would have for four years of traditional college,” Keyes says. “The way the program was structured, I wound up having time to complete my classes, while I was working my day job, which was extremely beneficial to me.” 

Technical Programs Equip Students for the Future 

Condon, too, appreciates the extra time and money, but a bigger gift is the confidence she has in her skills. 

“One thing the program really pushes is that even though you have an associate degree and a job posting may say you need a bachelor’s degree, that doesn’t automatically mean you can’t get the job and be successful there,” Condon says. “I feel comfortable competing for those jobs because I’m coming in with a knowledge of how to work in a lab and how to be successful in the same capacity as someone with a bachelor’s degree.” 

Keyes shares the same sense of job security. “I could really work anywhere in the country now,” he says. “It was a big surprise to me to learn that anywhere there’s grass, I could maintain it and get a job.”