Preparing NWTC Students to be Innovative Leaders of Tomorrow

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College students, area businesses, and community members now have access to all aspects of Industry 4.0, thanks to two newly transformed spaces on the NWTC Green Bay campus. 

The Engineering Technologies Atrium and College of Business entrance – both reimagined and redesigned to prepare students to become innovative leaders of tomorrow’s workforce – will be unveiled in a celebration on Tuesday, September 13. 

This 4,500 square-foot renovation provides experiential workspaces for students with amenities like an augmented reality/virtual reality experiential learning lab, interactive industry kiosks, additive manufacturing lab, artificial intelligence emotive response kiosk, and much more.

“We are living in a revolution of digitization across all industries. As educators, it is imperative we meet the changing needs of the industries and communities we serve,” said Dr. Jeff Rafn, NWTC president. “It was important that we demonstrate how all elements of Industry 4.0 fit together and that we create central areas where students can learn and work together in a collaborative and innovative manner.” 

As technology advances in all industries, NWTC remains committed to staying connected with our industry partners to ensure high quality and high skilled training opportunities are available. Industry 4.0, the merging of smart digital technologies, is an essential component to NWTC’s training for students and our community. 

The College’s renovations were designed by Wild Blue, a world-renowned experiential firm specializing in category innovation strategies, branded environments, and virtual experiences, based in De Pere, Wisconsin. 

“Through collaboration, we were excited to work with the talent and expertise of a local partner, Wild Blue, to help us visually demonstrate the importance of technology within the Industry 4.0 framework,” said Rafn. 

“We are thrilled to continue to work with NWTC, where we have employed many of their talented graduates,” said Will Van Epern, Wild Blue Technologies. “This partnership was a terrific opportunity for us to help create an environment where we can encourage students to pursue new and emerging careers needed to support growth and innovation in Northeast Wisconsin.”