Wednesday, December 17, 2025
CVTC selected for initiative to close manufacturing gaps
Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) is one of only 18 colleges in the nation to join a new initiative to close advanced manufacturing industry gaps through the EmployED Initiative.
Managed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) with funding from General Motors (GM), the initiative supports projects at AACC member colleges to align community and technical college talent with industry needs.
This work is a “high priority for AACC,” said AACC President and CEO DeRionne Pollard.
“We are proud to work with General Motors in building and sustaining workforce pipelines, while advancing promising practices that support both our students and our economy,” she said.
The purpose of assembling and leading the learning cohorts is to identify and elevate promising practices that deepen industry-relevant talent in advanced manufacturing, according to the AACC website.
CVTC will receive $60,000 for one year of work together with AACC. Those funds are intended to enable the College to participate in the learning cohort and expand upon existing efforts. Funds will offset the cost of purchasing learning materials, scholarships or tuition offsets as well as other functions.
“CVTC has a long-standing history of successful collaboration with external industry partners,” said CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia, PhD. “Part of CVTC’s mission is to add value to its communities. To achieve this, we collaborate with employers, taxpayers, legislators, and other agencies to ensure that the technical education needs of students are met while supporting the broader community.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to work alongside AACC to build on our strong practices in preparing students for the future of mechatronics in manufacturing.”
AACC will facilitate three learning cohorts with the colleges focused on:
- Early career and technical skill exposure
- Community college advanced manufacturing and associated career and technical programs
- Colleges engaged in electric vehicle-related programs
The goal of the cohorts is to identify and elevate promising practices that deepen industry-relevant talent in advanced manufacturing. AACC will share lessons learned with its member colleges.
GM is investing more than $1.5 million in the AACC EmployEd initiative to empower college programs that create career pathways in manufacturing, IT, supply chain and logistics, automotive maintenance and construction.
“General Motors recognizes the urgent need for workforce development nationwide,” said David Massaron, GM vice president, Infrastructure and Corporate Citizenship. “GM is committed to developing the next generation of skilled professionals, advancing American manufacturing, jobs, and innovation.”
The initiative builds on a previous AACC and GM project that worked with community colleges to identify specific industry skills needed for employee success.
