VJS Launches First Beyond the Walls Education & Industry Forum

We proudly hosted the first session of our new Beyond the Walls Education & Industry Forum at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Chemistry Building. This multi-session series is designed to bring together education and industry leaders to share knowledge, strengthen relationships, and prepare Milwaukee’s future workforce.

The opening session, “Starting with the End in Mind: The Competencies, Skills, and Knowledge New Workers Need to Thrive in Today’s (and Tomorrow’s) Workforce,” sparked valuable dialogue about how we can improve collaboration between K-12 education, higher education and the private industry to setup students for success.

Robyn Ludtke, Executive Director of the WCTC Foundation, kicked off the event. A panel discussion followed, featuring representatives from Bank Five Nine, Marquette University, UW–Milwaukee, Johnson Controls, as well as alumni from Milwaukee Academy of Science and Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, moderated by Luke Harrison.

The forum also included a site tour of UWM’s Chemistry Building and an interactive workshop led by Dan Schiller of Future Found, which gave participants the chance to build on the conversation and explore actionable ideas.

By creating space for these conversations, Beyond the Walls reinforces VJS’s commitment to helping shape a stronger, more connected workforce for tomorrow.