Nicolet College team Top 10 national finalist in Minds That Move Us Competition

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A team of educators from Nicolet College was recently selected as a Top 10 finalist in the national Minds That Move Us competition designed to create new and innovative adult career pathways.

With reliable transportation a barrier to college for many adults in the region, Nicolet’s proposed project would provide 10 students with donated used vehicles. Students would then learn how to repair the vehicles as they complete the college’s one-year Automotive Service Technician technical diploma.

“Then when they graduate, they have the option of entering the workforce with skills for gainful employment or they can continue their education at Nicolet to earn the more advanced two-year associate’s degree in Automotive Technology,” said Lisa Young, director of Adult Basic Education at Nicolet.

The program is aiming to enroll students age 26 and older with barriers to learning or employment. Along with instruction in the Automotive field, students would also receive career development, in-class student support, and financial literacy services to help them succeed.

“Our goal is to create a pathway for adult students, especially those who may have experienced disadvantages in life, to achieve a greater level of career success than they would have otherwise,” Young said.

By earning a Top 10 finalist designation, the Nicolet team now has access to Minds that Move Us consultants who will help the college fine-tune the proposal for the final competition. The top three teams will each receive a $100,000 prize. The Minds That Move Us organization will announce the winners in January 2020.

Photo above: Members of Nicolet’s Minds That Move Team are, left to right, Chris Kolasa, Automotive Technician instructor, Toni Van Doren, Business Solutions coordinator, Angeline Von Neupert, career coach, and Lisa Young, director of Adult Basic Education.