Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board honored Eau Claire Energy Cooperative (ECEC) with the Futuremaker Partner Award this week during a college system board meeting held at CVTC.
The award is state-wide recognition of local businesses and organizations that collaborate with one of Wisconsin’s technical colleges.
ECEC was recognized by CVTC as the 2025 Futuremaker Partner for their commitment to collaboration. From providing industry input for programs to reaching out for educational needs and training opportunities for employees, the cooperative has been dedicated to ensuring both exemplary programs for the technical college and a skilled workforce for the cooperative and other local businesses. More than 75% of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative staff have received education from CVTC, underscoring the strong connection between the two organizations.
“We are so thankful for our partnership with CVTC,” said Monica Obrycki, CEO of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative. “We know that we can look to them for collaboration and depend on them to deliver quality education to not only our employees but to the entire community. We can trust Chippewa Valley Technical College as a workforce resource, and they can, in turn, come to us for input from the energy industry.”
CVTC and Eau Claire Energy Cooperative have worked closely together for years on various projects and educational opportunities. ECEC employees have supported programs by conducting mock interviews, the cooperative has co-hosted Electric Vehicle Experience Events to help educate the public about EVs, Cooperative Youth Ambassadors have toured CVTC to explore career paths, and ECEC has partnered with CVTC whenever special education or training needs arose for its employees.
