About the #mketech K-20 Subcommittee The K-20 Subcommittee seeks to engage with organizations in the greater Milwaukee region that would like to be actively engaged in our collective efforts.   Coalition Mission:  Double the tech talent in the Milwaukee region to drive regional economic success, foster new opportunities in tech, and meet Employers’ growing need for skilled tech talent that is representative of the community. K-20 Objective:  All students in the greater MKE region understand their potential to contribute to the #mketech ecosystem to increase retention of graduates with diverse backgrounds interested in working in tech related fields. K-20 Values:  Strategies increase the likelihood for the upward mobility of underrepresented populations and reinforce Coalition members as employers of choice.

Initial Strategies/Initiatives 2020-21

• Demonstrate a Regional Commitment to Local Tech Talent Development – Bring together K-12 educators, higher ed, industry and community partners to expose students to computing and related disciplines and support the ‘What’s Next’ across key stakeholder groups. 
  • Sponsor the MKE Hour of Code with added connection points to other key strategies.  
  • Partner with the M7 and CESA1 on the Regional Career Pathways Initiative in MKE with specific support for the implementation of the Digital Technology Pathway.
  • Support events/programs/publications aligned with our committee’s mission, vision and values.  For example, STEM Forward, the Wisconsin Affiliate of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, and BizTimes “STUFF Designed, Made and Built in SE WI”.
• District Planning – Support K-12 districts with an interest in developing a comprehensive plan for computer science education.  
  • Sponsor CSforALL SCRIPT workshop for initial cohort.  Advance priorities identified by SCRIPT districts.  Specifically,
    • Support for K-12 CS curriculum alignment efforts
    • Coordination of industry volunteer requests
    • Clarification on certifications of value to employers
    • Visibility into higher education programming specific to tech, tech-enabled, and/or tech-adjacent careers.
  • Launch regional K-12 Computing Alliance to provide a coordinated response to identified needs for districts who participate in CSforALL SCRIPT workshop.
  • Build capacity for work-based learning to include co-curricular activities, curated projects, internships, and youth apprenticeships (that can bridge to registered IT apprenticeships). 
• College Internships – Develop virtual tech internship program to support college students in overall career/talent development goals and create a peer network of emerging technologists.
  • Collaborated with The Commons to develop and evolve initial summer offering in 2020. Please see the website for details.  
• Post-Secondary Transitions – Develop strategies to assist in post-secondary planning and workforce transitions
  • e.g. MKE Tech Career Expo, etc. 
• Attraction – Develop strategies to attract early career talent to region to support identified talent gaps.