Gilman Helps Prepare Students for Careers

Dedicated to changing the lives of students for over a decade, GPS Education Partners (Butler, WI) has since grown to be a nationally recognized program. Participating school districts, located near GPS education centers throughout Wisconsin, collaborate with GPS to place students aspiring to pursue a technical career in the manufacturing industry through real-world training.

“The growing skills gap is a threat to the manufacturing industry. Jobs will go unfilled at a time when more jobs are being created; there will no doubt be a shortage. This is precisely why these types of programs are crucial for the industry, and Gilman jumped at the chance to be a part of it,” said Mike Weiland, the chief operating officer at Gilman Precision (Grafton, WI). “Not only does this program help prepare students with the essential skills and knowledge needed, but it gives them options, offers a plan, and gives them the confidence to succeed in the future.”

Offered to juniors and seniors enrolled in a participating school districts, the program allows students to gain industry credentials, employability skills, and transferable post-secondary college credits. The student engages in two hours of classroom learning, followed by working at their designated intern locations. Ideally, this program can provide an experience that will have lasting effects on the student’s future.

“Regular schooling just wasn’t for me,” said Josh Casper, a student intern at Gilman. “I learned this after my guidance counselor suggested I look into GPS and consider a career in manufacturing, even though before working at Gilman I knew absolutely nothing about the industry. The two hours I spend in the classroom are directly applied to what I do at work. I continue to learn on a daily basis by working in all areas of the factory, including grinding, assembly, and inspection. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with.”

www.gilmanprecision.com