Waukesha schools' dual enrollment students jumpstart careers

A record number of Waukesha high school students are set to participate in dual enrollment with WCTC – and it could help solve a local worker shortage.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A record number of Waukesha high school students will pull double-duty next fall – and it could help solve a local worker shortage.

Inside Waukesha North High School, Kya Colton is counting down the days until graduation. She wants to become an EMT "to help others and save others' lives."

"I’m excited for the summer to start," she said. "It’s an advantage to know kind of what I want to do."

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Colton still has a year left of high school, but like 40 others students, she's committed to furthering her education through Waukesha County Technical College's "Dual Enrollment Academy." By committing to the program now, she will have a year's worth of college credits before she leaves high school.

Mollie Haubenschild, the School District of Waukesha's career and technical education coordinator, said the program lets students take their senior year off campus and attend WCTC full time "earning college and high school credits at the same time." She said it has been around for about a decade, and this coming year's is the largest group ever.

"Whether it’s starting in pre-nursing and getting those gen-eds out of the way, or kids working in welding and construction and go right into the field as soon as their junior or senior year," said Haubenschild.

The school district pays for each student's first year at WCTC, and each gets a pretty hefty check.

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"The tuition ranges anywhere from $3,200 to over $5,000 for each student depending on the program of study," said Haubenschild. "It’s a barrier changer for some of our families – it’s removing the idea of ‘I can’t afford or obtain a college status.'"

Haubenschild said area employers benefit, too, by being able to fill open positions faster.

WCTC partners with high schools across the county for the program. The School District of Waukesha has the most participants. In all, the district said it has committed $300,000 in tuition for students attending WCTC this fall.