Joshua Sprewer was working at a grocery store and looking for a career with longevity when he joined Employ Milwaukee’s Milwaukee Water Works Community Project (MWWCP) program. He was struggling to find a good job with benefits and room for mobility.
He enrolled in an Industrial Machine Repair Mechanic pre-apprenticeship program run by MWWCP in partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), which provided participants with free college classes in maintenance skills, like blueprint reading and working with electricity. Joshua felt supported by the professors and learned a lot in class.
During the pre-apprenticeship, MWWCP program specialists connected Joshua with the City of Milwaukee Water Works for a paid work experience. At the City, Joshua learned the ins and outs of working in the water industry and picked up additional skills, like stick welding.
“The greatest thing about being with the City and being in this program was seeing how things work behind the scenes,” said Joshua of working for the municipal water system. “Every day we take showers and brush our teeth, but we never really see the background of it all.”
While participating in his paid work experience, Joshua applied for a permanent, full-time job with the City as a Water Repair Worker. Thanks to his hard work and dedication throughout his pre-apprenticeship education and hands-on training, he excelled in the application process and got hired on.
“I left with a career, benefits, a lot of knowledge, and a way to take care of my family,” said Joshua. “The program was A++.”
Employ Milwaukee
1322 North 8th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: (414) 270-1700Fax: (414) 225-2375
Employ Milwaukee is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Service Provider. If you need this information in an alternate format, or in a different language at no cost to you, please contact us at (414) 270-1700. Deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired callers can contact us through Wisconsin Relay Service at 711.
