Khin Maung Aye first enrolled in Employ Milwaukee’s Skills to Build program in April 2024, and co-enrolled in the Milwaukee Water Works Community Project (MWWCP) shortly after. Skills to Build serves jobseekers interested in careers in advanced manufacturing, information technology, and professional/technical services, and MWWCP focuses on municipal careers relating to roles at Milwaukee Water Works. Khin’s focus of study, civil engineering, qualified for each program. 

Khin, a student of Rohingya ethnicity, moved to Milwaukee from Myanmar to escape educational restriction, ethnic persecution and genocide. He arrived in Milwaukee without a job, despite years of experience in civil engineering back home. He enrolled at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to get an associate’s degree in civil engineering technology.  

Through Skills to Build, Khin received financial assistance with tuition and textbooks and help with his resume and job interviewing skills. Khin’s foremost goal while attending school was to find an internship and advance into an engineering job. 

MWWCP connected Khin with the City of Milwaukee Water Works for a grant-subsidized engineering internship in the fall 2024 semester. Khin excelled in the role, and the City retained him for the entire school year, training him on their processes.  

Khin applied for a permanent, full-time job with the City, and in preparation for his job interview, both the Skills to Build and MWWCP specialists coached him in interviewing skills. He successfully passed the interview process and was hired full-time as a CADD and GIS Technician III. Khin is finishing up the last few credits of his associate’s degree outside of work hours and will graduate in December 2025.  

Through Skills to Build and MWWCP, Khin advanced from student intern to full-time, quality employment in a high-growth field. “Today I am attending college and working in the civil engineering field as I have always dreamed of,” Khin said. “Without Employ Milwaukee, I would not be here today working as a professional.”