MIAD’s AIM High Wisconsin Apprenticeship Program was the topic of conversation during U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s visit to campus on Monday, May 2.
“The timing of Senator Baldwin’s visit to MIAD could not have been better. She toured the Senior Exhibition, seeing firsthand the collaboration between MIAD’s business partners and its students,” said Sharon Crowe, Executive Director of the AIM High Program.
The AIM High program seeks to create registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in art and design fields, integrating academic learning at the degree level with on-the-job training to provide the skills employers need now, and in the future.
During her visit Senator Baldwin participated in a round-table discussion with local business partners, MIAD trustees and staff.
“It was both a pleasure and honor for me to meet Senator Baldwin and learn about her vested interest in the AIM High Wisconsin Grant. The competencies that will be acquired through the program will enhance the already great workforce that exists in Wisconsin and the remarkable businesses that hire such professionals,” said Duane Seidensticker, Executive Director of Advising and Career Services.
Senator Baldwin also spoke with Industrial Design graduating seniors Milagros Ramirez, Kaleigh Hall, Shannon Ingles and Natalie Quinnies about their involvement in the GE Healthcare Compassion Project, which reimagined the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Students demonstrated “how they went from problem to patent-pending solutions,” added Crowe.
“The time and attention Senator Baldwin gave us, and especially the students who met her, is not only evidence of the success she sees for this grant, but also her appreciation for contribution of designers and artists to Wisconsin’s creative economy,” said Seidensticker.
