NWTC, FVTC presidents: Investing in technical colleges means investing in Wisconsin’s workforce

As Wisconsin looks ahead to its next state budget, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College President Dr. Kristen Raney and Fox Valley Technical College President Dr. Chris Matheny joined Action 2 News to discuss what continued investment in technical colleges means for the state's workforce.

The Wisconsin Technical College System is requesting $168 million investment as part of its 2027-29 biennial budget proposal, representing a 5.4% increase. The request comes as Wisconsin's technical colleges face growing demand from students and employers while navigating capacity constraints in many of the fields the state needs most.

At the center of the conversation was a growing challenge: capacity. Technical colleges know where workforce demand is high, but meeting it requires enough faculty, equipment, technology and space to prepare the workers Wisconsin needs - and to keep pace as those needs change.

Raney and Matheny also reinforced a broader message shared by higher education leaders across Northeast Wisconsin: meeting the region's future workforce needs will require strong technical colleges and universities, each playing distinct but connected roles in preparing the state's talent pipeline.