A new partnership with The Campbell's Company will launch Per Scholas' first Advanced Manufacturing Technician training program.
Manufacturing is changing. As technology becomes more sophisticated, employers need technicians with skills in electrical systems, automation, and controls—and they need new talent as experienced workers retire.
That's why Per Scholas is expanding into Advanced Manufacturing, launching a new 15-week Advanced Manufacturing Technician training program in Greater Milwaukee with support from a $500,000 investment from The Campbell's Company, including $250,000 to support the inaugural cohort in Milwaukee. The program builds on a year-long planning partnership between the organizations to understand the evolving technical demands of modern manufacturing and how to prepare workers for the next generation of industrial careers.
With the strategic support of organizations like The Campbell's Company and Focusing Philanthropy, Per Scholas is expanding its training model into hands-on, automation-resistant sectors like advanced manufacturing—building on its growing focus on "physical tech" and critical infrastructure careers. Learners will complete a 400+ hour Advanced Manufacturing Technician curriculum and have the opportunity to earn OSHA-10 and NFPA 70E credentials to prepare them for industrial environments.
These careers offer durable career opportunities in light of artificial intelligence reshaping the labor market. Advanced manufacturing roles require hands-on work with physical systems and infrastructure—tasks that are difficult to automate or offshore. Graduates will be prepared for technician roles in Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology and Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology, with median starting wages of approximately $56,000.
The inaugural Greater Milwaukee cohort will include 25 learners, but the vision extends beyond the first class. Per Scholas plans to use the Greater Milwaukee launch as a blueprint for bringing Advanced Manufacturing training to additional communities across its more than 25 campuses nationwide, particularly where employers face significant talent shortages.
For Per Scholas, the expansion brings decades of workforce training expertise to a new category of careers while responding to a rapidly changing labor market. For The Campbell's Company, it represents an investment in Greater Milwaukee and in the people who will help shape the future of modern manufacturing.
Together, the organizations are creating a new pathway into technical careers for Greater Milwaukee residents—and building a model with the potential to strengthen the manufacturing workforce nationwide.
Interested in learning more about Per Scholas' Advanced Manufacturing Technician program? Click Here.