Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Joins national program to improve job outcomes

GREEN BAY – Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has been selected to join the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s Unlocking Opportunity network, a national initiative aimed at helping community colleges better prepare students for good-paying jobs.

NWTC is among 55 colleges joining the program, which expands upon work already underway at 10 pilot institutions.

The three-year initiative focuses on aligning college programs and student advising with community college students’ primary goals: earning credentials that lead to employment or successfully transferring to complete bachelors degrees.

“Joining the Unlocking Opportunity network places NWTC at the table with leading institutions across the nation that are shaping the future of higher education,” said Dr. Kristen Raney, NWTC president. She emphasized that students “come to complete, to earn credentials that lead to family-sustaining wages.”

The program addresses a key challenge in community college education.

Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, noted that millions of students annually rely on community colleges for affordable pathways to valuable credentials, expecting their degrees and certificates to lead to good jobs or successful transfer opportunities.

Participating colleges will work through virtual and in-person sessions to implement research-based reforms designed to increase student success.
The reforms focus on boosting enrollment and completion in high-value workforce and transfer programs while reducing participation in programs with limited job prospects.

The 10 original pilot institutions are projected to move over 20,000 students into high-value programs.

With the expansion to 65 total participating colleges, the Aspen Institute will track progress and share insights with the broader community college field.

The Unlocking Opportunity program was developed with the Community College Research Center.