KENOSHA, Wis. – Celebrating the successful debut of its workplace-delivered education program, Carthage College awarded certificates of completion to six employees of local manufacturer LMI Packaging in a graduation-style ceremony.
By completing a sequence of four college-level business classes that Carthage faculty taught on-site at LMI over the past year, the workers earned certificates signifying their grasp of business foundations. Leaders from the college and the company congratulated them in person on Feb. 1 at the Pleasant Prairie facility.
“LMI Packaging needed a convenient, affordable pathway to upskill its employees, so we quickly customized a solution to teach classes right there in the building,” said Carthage President John Swallow. “Through partnerships like this one, Carthage is thrilled to advance the education of the region’s workforce.”
A growing, family-owned business that makes lids and labels for a range of industries, LMI signed on as the first employer partner in the innovative Carthage Spark program. Fifteen of its workers took at least one of the available courses, which covered general business topics as well as management principles, marketing, and accounting.
“This is something I would’ve never dreamed of — going back to college,” said LMI print operator Rosamaria Samano, who spoke on behalf of her fellow graduates.
This workplace-delivered education model expands the college’s effort to meet changing student and employer needs. The Spark program is open to businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies looking for new perks to help them retain existing employees and recruit new ones.
Energized by the successful launch, Carthage officials are actively seeking other community partners that could benefit from the program. Although the LMI partnership centered on business, agreements can be customized to offer a wide range of courses.
For more information about Carthage Spark, contact program director Paul Martino at pmartino@carthage.edu or visit the website: www.carthage.edu/spark
