Jeffrey Rafn, president of NWTC and Tehassi Hill, Oneida Nation chairman, renew the partnership between NWTC and Oneida Nation, June 19, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Oneida Nation is strengthening its relationship with a college located on its reservation.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and Oneida Nation renewed its decade-long partnership Monday on the college’s Green Bay campus.
The collaboration provides tribal members pathways to family-sustaining careers.
“It’s a great opportunity for the future of Oneida Nation and our community is really climbing that ladder in employment, being able to retain better income for their families, to be able to raise a family in our community, which isn’t cheap at this time, so it’s a great opportunity to become more self-sufficient,” said Oneida Nation chairman, Tehassi Hill.
Through the renewed relationship, NWTC and Oneida Nation will work together to make programs and services more accessible for tribal students. Some focus areas of the renewed charter include:
- Supporting the Oneida Nation’s workforce development goals in areas of health sciences, trades, and engineering technologies.
- Providing clearer and more accessible student services.
- Expanding dual credit college courses and early access to higher education for Oneida students at the K-12 level.
During the signing ceremony, Oneida tribal member and business student at NWTC, Amber Martinez, talked about how the partnership between the tribe and NWTC has helped her pursue higher education, ultimately leading to her dream career.
“Native youth is one of the most vulnerable populations in this country. Burying the effects of historical trauma, passed down from generation to generation, they are less likely to have adequate education and with what Oneida and NWTC is doing together for our native people is just one step closer to helping heal our historical trauma,” Martinez said.
Hill says there are grant and scholarship opportunities available for tribal members seeking higher education.
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