Dennis Wilke, President, Rosedale Technical College

In an interview with Invest:, Dennis Wilke, president of Rosedale Technical College, discussed how the institution is responding to workforce demand, evolving technology, and changing perceptions of careers in skilled trades. Wilke said Rosedale is focused on core competencies that apply across technical fields.  “We are finding that the same foundations support different technical paths,” Wilke said.

How does Rosedale ensure its programs evolve as industries such as automotive, construction, HVAC, and diesel technology adopt new technologies?

What has been most interesting is how much crossover similarity exists among all of our programs. After many conversations with employers and business leaders, we have realized that we are here to do four basic things.

The first is teaching electrical skills, including how electrical signals control equipment. The second is mechanical ability, which means being able to make things work or build them. The next two are communication and teamwork skills, resilience, and problem-solving through a structured troubleshooting process.

These competencies apply to all our programs. We are finding that the same foundations support different technical paths, to the point where one day we may have one program with offshoots into specialties around different kinds of equipment.

What is the biggest disconnect between workforce demand and how people think about careers in the trades?

From my perspective, the gap is narrowing because the demographics of people interested in pursuing technical careers have evolved to include a much bigger tent. We are seeing more women than ever before and more students who, in the past, might have gone to a traditional college for engineering or business. We have now had a second consecutive year of record enrollment growth.

There is still a gap, however. The population in our area has leveled off, and we are seeing a gray wave of older workers leaving jobs without enough new skilled talent to replace them.

We are also focused on initiative, resilience, and self-accountability. Some graduates have the ability to take several different jobs but fall back into positions that do not match their new skills. We are trying to expose students to more opportunities while teaching resilience, self-accountability, and the desire for continuous improvement. If students leave for lesser-skilled jobs, then we are not serving employers the way we should.

How closely do local and regional employers influence curriculum development, and what are they asking for today that they were not asking for five years ago?

We are in the process, through reaccreditation, of revising our mission into something more memorable. The current draft is building lives of purpose, passion, and power through the skilled trades.

Our interaction with employers is extensive. More than half of the days on our school calendar include a connection with an employer. Students regularly meet employers through campus visits, field trips, guest lectures, and lunch-and-learn opportunities.

Many curriculum improvements happen organically because of those constant interactions. We also meet formally with industry groups, usually twice a year, to review individual programs. In addition, we created a strategic advisory board of business and community leaders. There are almost too many ways that we connect with industry partners to count.

How is Rosedale preparing students for careers that may look different five to 10 years from now?

Our job is to connect the dots so students understand that technical skills transfer across different environments. We expose them to different equipment and different approaches to troubleshooting so they learn multiple ways to solve problems.

Most of our students are also working in the field before graduation. We only hold classes four days a week, so students have time to work part-time, allowing them to gain experience with the latest technology through our experiential learning program.

Many students now come from traditional academic backgrounds with stronger STEM skills than ever before, but they have realized they are looking for careers outside the traditional desk job.

Many students also have concerns about AI. We do not claim that the skilled trades are AI-proof, but we think that the better way to think about it is that the skilled trades are AI-compatible. We encourage instructors to incorporate AI as another tool in the student’s toolbox, whether for construction planning or developing troubleshooting processes for vehicle repair.

What misconceptions still exist about technical education, and how does Rosedale work to change that narrative?

We are in a different place than we were 10 or 20 years ago. More parents and students recognize that the skilled trades can provide high incomes and rewarding careers.

The average age of our student body has fallen from about 26 a decade ago to around 22 today, showing that people are recognizing these opportunities earlier.

One of the biggest advantages we emphasize is the focused nature of career education. Students can complete a two-year degree in just 16 months without spending time on coursework that is not directly related to employment.

There are still communities where traditional college is viewed more favorably than technical education. We address that one person at a time. Our students are proud of being in the skilled trades, and their experiences help change those perceptions.

What does an ideal partnership between industry and education look like?

The successful recipe starts with two main ingredients. The first is radical candor. We have to be extremely honest with employers and students, and employers need to be equally honest with us. The strongest partnerships come from having open conversations and asking difficult questions.

The second ingredient is being less focused on immediate needs. Some employers dismiss students who are still months away from graduation. More successful employers build relationships early, sometimes hiring students part-time before graduation. Radical candor and a team-oriented approach have been key to our success.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for Rosedale in the coming years?

I am excited about an initiative focused on expectations and student success. We have a high graduation rate, but we found that a small percentage of students account for most of the challenges. We are reviewing our entire process to provide clearer expectations from admissions through graduation.

We are also looking at admissions differently. A student who narrowly misses the entrance examination but demonstrates resilience, self-motivation, and accountability may still be successful. Conversely, some students have the cognitive ability but need to strengthen their soft skills.

We want to be clear from the beginning that success requires both the brain and the heart. Once students enroll, we want to identify those who need additional coaching early rather than allowing them to struggle for an extended period. If someone is not going to succeed here, it is better for them to know early than to invest significant time and money without graduating.

The biggest opportunity is continuing to reinforce those expectations throughout the student experience. Rather than tolerating behaviors that hold students back, we coach them and help them improve. We believe that accountability and resilience will serve them throughout their careers.

Beyond that, we continue to see opportunities to grow programs and maximize our facilities by adding flexible, usable space. Altogether, those efforts allow us to expand our impact on the region.