|
Meeting Details
|
Meeting date/time:
|
5/14/2026
9:00 AM
|
Minutes status:
|
Final
|
|
|
Meeting location:
|
City Hall, Room 301-B
|
|
| | | | 1. Call to Order 9:07 AM | | | |
|
Video
|
|
| | | | 2. Roll Call | | | |
Roll call
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 3. Review and Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes (4/23/26)
Minutes note: Ald. Stamper moved approval. There were no objections. | | | |
|
Video
|
|
| | | | 4. MPS Career & Technical Education Presentation
Minutes note: Appearing:
Mr. Eric Radomski Manager Career & Technical Education (CTI) - North Division High School
Nearly 3,200 CTE “concentrators” district wide (juniors/seniors who passed at least two courses in a pathway); this is used as the key DPI goal metric.
CTE is offered across 16 high schools, spanning 11 broad pathways (which may look different by school).
District reports meeting all DPI goals tied to concentrator metrics.
Students can earn dual enrollment (mostly with MATC), industry-recognized credentials, and participate in
Internship program started in 2017; participation has grown yearly (except the COVID year) and is expected to exceed last year’s 834 credited placements.
CTE concentrators’ 4-year graduation rate was updated by DPI to 91.3%.
~90% “positive follow-up” outcomes (working, postsecondary, advanced training, military, Peace Corps), confirmed via outreach about one year after graduation.
North Division & Washington High School: enrollment and pathways
Enrollment: North Division 280 students; Washington 380.
Attendance was flagged as a major challenge: April year-to-date numbers showed North under 50% and Washington just over 50%.
Washington has been relatively steady the last four years (noting it was ~700 students 8–10 years ago); North has recently declined, with leadership changes mentioned.
North Division pathways: Construction (noted as the only site with “traditional trades”), Health Science, and Information Technology.
Washington pathways: Hospitality & Tourism (with culinary arts emphasis) and Information Technology.
Clarification during Q&A: other schools also run trades/CTE (e.g., Bradley Tech has construction, welding/manufacturing; Bay View has culinary/hospitality and a business program with some computer science).
Construction curriculum at North: Carpenters International Training Fund.
Many other pathway courses use NAF curriculum/resources; Exploring Computer Science uses code.org.
Washington culinary uses ProStart plus Cooking Compass (kept after COVID due to effective online/home use).
Credentials highlighted:
Washington culinary: ServSafe Food Handler (31 of 38 students earned it this year);
Washington advanced culinary: 4 students took Food Manager exam; 2 passed and 2 pending.
Washington IT: Google Career Certificates via Coursera (cybersecurity, UX design, computer support); launched this year, no completions yet.
North: CPR/AED (8 students) and CompTIA Tech+ (5 students), which is on DWD’s Act 59 list and can generate DWD reimbursement dollars after graduation.
NAFTrack Certification at both schools requires 4+ pathway courses, work-based learning participation, and an 80+ hour internship; district will recognize 192 students on the 20th (North/Washington had ~a dozen last year; this year expected to be higher, exact count not yet available).
Planned credential expansion at North next year includes OSHA (construction) and Certified Nursing Assistant.
Washington has an active advisory board that meets monthly; partners support teachers/students.
Marcus Hotels was highlighted as a long-term Washington partner providing internships and extended career-exploration field trips.
North partners include Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (AHEC); presenter disclosed contracting with AHEC and described value including 8–10 hours/week onsite support and help launching HOSA.
HOSA (a career & technical student organization) launched at North; 4 students attended the state competition and performed well.
Shared partners include Boys & Girls Club (Community Learning Centers at both schools) and Marquette University (computer science PD and consulting on Washington’s Fab Lab upgrade).
North does not yet have an advisory board; identified as a key opportunity, with intent to prioritize after current expansion work.
Opportunities named: grow internships/youth apprenticeships, dual enrollment participation, credential attainment, and participation in HOSA and SkillsUSA.
Challenges named: enrollment, attendance, instructional staffing, and fiscal constraints.
Staffing note: international teachers hired ~3 years ago (from places including Jamaica and parts of Africa) were described as highly dedicated and effective.
Board-approved $2.4M investment at North to restore/expand CTE; MATC collaboration underway.
North (MATC-taught, college-credit) additions described for next year: CNA (up to 12 students in fall + another cohort in spring), dental assistant sequence (lab/classroom rebuild; fall and spring courses totaling 3 credits each term; second-year plan already drafted), additional IT courses (one each term, 3 credits each), and new welding courses.
Longer-range possibilities:
Automotive: trying to hire an instructor (no job posting yet); goal is to restart auto at North if staffing and the auto lab are ready by fall.
Architectural design: exploring with UW–Milwaukee; likely a 2027–2028 start.
Community engagement idea raised: opening schools/programs more to the community after-hours and using “lock-ins” (overnight, structured youth programming after events) to expose families/students to trades/tech/hospitality (e.g., cooking activities, building projects).
Presenter agreed to bring the lock-in/community access idea back to leadership at North and Bradley Tech.
Note: district has opened facilities for MATC evening classes before (e.g., welding lab, HVAC), and is open to providing space capacity when needed.
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 5. MPS COIN Program
Minutes note: JaQuinta Polen (Manager, Contract Compliance Services, MPS) and colleague Claudia Garcia, presented on programs their office oversees.
Office oversees three district programs: Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program, Student Engagement Program, and Communities in Need (COIN) workforce partners program.
MPS integrates participation requirements into district procurements of $50,000+ and frames vendors and contractors as “business partners” expected to support students.
Student Engagement Program (Student Employment + Career Education)
Eligibility: students from freshman year (or age 14) through 1 year post-graduation (eligible through Dec 31 after graduation).
Participation requirements on $50K+ procurements typically range from 100–1,500 hours; program typically assigns ~48,000–50,000 student employment hours per year.
Program serves up to ~300 students/year (small program originating from the Neighborhood Schools Initiative). All internships are paid at the City of Milwaukee living wage.
Last fiscal year served 212 students; current year: 55 students participating now, with 90 signed up for summer. Program runs year-round, during school year students work ~15–20 hours/week; summer up to 40 hours/week (with academics/scheduling prioritized).
Three ways contractors/vendors can meet student employment requirements:
Direct placement within the vendor/contractor organization for real-world work experience.
Placement via community-based organizations (examples named: Reef Loan, All Hands Boatworks, Art @ Large, H2O, Lead to Change).
Internship sponsorship: vendor funds wages; MPS onboard student as temporary co-op and places them internally within MPS or with partner orgs.
Examples of internal MPS placements/work-based learning sites include finance, technology, superintendent’s office (anticipated), Vincent Urban Agricultural interns, building hub worker assistants at Reagan, and admin assistants at Hamilton, Project STAY, and North Division.
Current fiscal year includes 19 students in elementary/middle schools serving as youth apprentices/education interns.
Career Education component: contractors/vendors fulfill requirements by volunteering for mock interviews, career education days, career exploration activities, job fairs, and other district volunteer needs.
COIN Workforce Preference Program (Adults + Construction)
COIN is MPS’s workforce preference program focused on employing City of Milwaukee residents ages 18+ on general construction projects.
COIN adopted as policy in 2003; district annual target is 25% of workforce hours performed by COIN-certified individuals.
Last year’s performance shared a total workforce hours: 24,962
COIN-certified hours: 9,225
Resulting COIN share: 36% (exceeding the 25% target)
Eligibility requirements are, 18+ years old; City of Milwaukee resident, Valid Wisconsin driver’s license (or on track to receive), High school diploma/GED (or on track to receive); Meet income eligibility requirements or have worked fewer than 1,200 hours in the preceding 12 months
There is No-cost certification through either Michael staffing or WRTP Big Steps.
Certification lasts 3 years, with possible 2-year extension.
COIN applies only to general construction contracts; MPS assigns COIN to ~74–75 general construction projects annually.
COIN hours are monitored/verified on MPS construction contracts only.
Vendors report monthly in a database; workforce audits are sent and verified with follow-up.
COIN participation was not assigned/monitored for lead abatement across schools because it was handled as an emergency purchase (emergency procurement superseded requirements).
Team noted the vendor (JCP) likely has COIN workers historically, but those hours weren’t monitored under COIN requirements for that emergency work.
The program does have staffing/capacity constraints; Presenters emphasized the office is small and not able to be as present in the community as in the past; ESSER years significantly increased contract volume monitored; in FY23, student internship support reached nearly $1M due to assigning up to 6,000 internship hours on those contracts; funding has since declined as ESSER ended.
Need identified: interest in building a stronger pathway for juniors/seniors into skilled trades, with a key barrier being lack of funding for instructors (program funds are restricted to internships).
Vendor/contractor support approach highlighted as key to compliance:
MPS staff proactively walk awardees through requirements and options, provide resumes, connect vendors to certifying agencies, request documentation/paper trails of outreach, and generally help vendors “get to the finish line.”
Sanctions/financial enforcement mentioned:
Student employment: $100/hour unmet
Career education: $250/hour unmet
COIN: $30/hour unmet
Council asked how much has been collected; response: “not that much,” implying high compliance.
“Super status” concept:
COIN and student engagement can include “super student/super COIN status.”
For COIN: per hour worked, organization receives 0.25 credit, but only if the worker is retained with the company.
Council raised scenario of layoffs and worker moving to another company; MPS indicated this is not currently built in but they will look into ways to credit participation when workforce retention isn’t in the contractor’s control. Question raised whether city RPP/SBE is complementary or creates competition for workforce.
MPS noted it can be both; COIN criteria is stricter due to general construction requirement and certification/verification.
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 6. Project Kindred Updates
Minutes note: Appearing:
Executive Director - Yaa Engel
Ms. Engel invited members to participate in a youth-led July event:
July 7–10 at Marquette University: youth identify a root cause problem to solve (health disparities currently a likely focus, but youth-led).
July 16: youth come to City Hall to engage departments connected to the issue via a “fun scavenger hunt debate” format.
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 7. Committee Updates
Minutes note: Data/Research committee update (Dr. Gabe Velez, Marquette):
Conducted outreach to 11 youth-serving orgs receiving community development block grants.
Evaluation is under-resourced; disconnect between what orgs measure vs what they want to measure; measurement driven by funder reporting; little longitudinal tracking; limited methods for social-emotional development and complex skills (leadership/identity/creativity); youth/community rarely engaged in evaluation design/interpretation.
Org interests: shared/city-supported data platform (with privacy considerations), training/technical assistance, and better alignment across funder reporting requirements.
Education & workforce development committee update (Dr Antonhy Cruz, MATC):
Committee met twice; moving toward a pilot leveraging existing resources.
Focus discussed on North Division as a potential pilot site to strengthen industry connections and job pipelines (including need for/advisory board support).
Noted potential funding support mentioned from Fund Milwaukee.
State policy barriers raised: lack of state funding support for CTE and dual enrollment.
MATC/technical college point: courses taught in high schools don’t generate the same state enrollment credit/funding as courses taught on college campuses, affecting capacity to staff/expand.
Chair indicated dual enrollment/CTE funding could be included prominently in the city’s legislative packet for November.
Advisory board challenges: teachers often do extra advisory/NAV work without extra pay; funding constraints limit activities; need to “open schools to the community” after hours to enable participation.
| | | |
|
Video
|
|
| | | | 8. Meetings Calendar Discussion
Minutes note: Meeting calendar change for July 16 adjusted from a 9:00 AM meeting to an afternoon schedule to accommodate a visit from Project Kindred: youth come to City Hall to engage departments connected to the issue via a “fun scavenger hunt debate” format.
Youth will meet with city staff and elected officials at noon, for lunch; formal meeting will start at 1:00 PM
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 9. Announcements | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | 10. Next Meeting June 25, 2026 | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | This meeting will be webcast live at www.milwaukee.gov/channel25.
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | Meeting adjourned at 10:46 AM
Joanna Urtiz
Staff Assistant | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | In the event that Common Council members who are not members of this committee attend this meeting, this meeting may also simultaneously constitute a meeting of the Common Council or any of the following committees: Community and Economic Development, Finance and Personnel, Judiciary and Legislation, Licenses, Public Safety and Health, Public Works, Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development, and/or Steering and Rules. Whether a simultaneous meeting is occurring depends on whether the presence of one or more of the Common Council member results in a quorum of the Common Council or any of the above committees, and, if there is a quorum of another committee, whether any agenda items listed above involve matters within that committee’s realm of authority. In the event that a simultaneous meeting is occurring, no action other than information gathering will be taken at the simultaneous meeting.
| | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities through sign language interpreters or auxiliary aids. For additional information or to request this service, contact the City Clerk's Office ADA Coordinator at 286-2998, (FAX)286-3456, (TDD)286-2025 or by writing to the Coordinator at Room 205, City Hall, 200 E. Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | City Hall and the Zeidler Municipal Building are accessible by "The Hop" City Hall Stations, the MCTS Green Line, Connect 1, 14, 15, 18, 19, 30, 33, and 57 bus routes. Visit https://www.ridemcts.com/ for more information.
Bike racks are available on Water Street, Market Street, and Broadway, and a Bublr Bike Share station is located on the northeast corner of Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street.
Limited parking for persons attending meetings during normal business hours is available at reduced rates (5 hour limit) at the Associated Bank River Center on the southwest corner of Kilbourn Avenue and Water Street. You must present a copy of the meeting notice to the parking cashier. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | | | Persons engaged in lobbying as defined in s. 305-43-4 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances are required to register with the City Clerk's Office License Division. Registered lobbyists appearing before a Common Council committee are required to identify themselves as such. More information is available at http://city.milwaukee.gov/Lobbying. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
|