Generac opens education center in new gen-set plant

The new Beaver Dam Education Center, located within Generac’s gen-set factory, will serve approximately 32 juniors and seniors annually through youth apprenticeships that integrate academics with on-the-job learning. (Photo: Generac)

GPS Education Partners (GPS Ed) has opened its newest education center, one hosted within Generac Power Systems’ Beaver Dam, Wis., facility. The center will provide hands-on work-based learning and youth apprenticeship opportunities to students from school districts across Dodge County and the surrounding region. Generac opened the Beaver Dam gen-set factory earlier this year.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together local business leaders, school and community partners, and state and local officials to recognize the power of collaboration in preparing Wisconsin’s youth for the future workforce. Speakers included Andrew Zimdars, GPS Ed Director of Partner Services; Brian Michael, vice president of Operations at Generac; Bobbi Marck, mayor of Beaver Dam; John Keckhaver, Youth Apprenticeship Section Chief for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Mark DiStefano, superintendent of Beaver Dam Unified School District; and Stephanie Reisner, GPS Ed President and CEO.

GPS Education Partners’ newest Education Center is hosted within Generac Power Systems’ new state-of-the-art Beaver Dam, Wis., facility. (Photo: Generac)

“We’re celebrating not just another Generac and GPS Ed classroom, but the program’s positive impact on the community and on students’ lives,” said Brian Michael. “We’re proud to deepen our partnership with GPS Ed and we’re honored to continue to be part of the transformation of education and workforce development.”

The new Beaver Dam Education Center will serve approximately 32 juniors and seniors annually through immersive youth apprenticeships that integrate academics with on-the-job learning. Students gain valuable experience in advanced manufacturing, professional skills, and career readiness while contributing to a thriving local talent pipeline.

“The opening of this center is more than an expansion — it’s a celebration of partnership, purpose, and progress,” said Stephanie Reisner, President and CEO of GPS Education Partners. “Generac believed in our mission from the very beginning, and together we’ve shown what’s possible when schools, businesses, and communities unite to help students thrive.

GPS Ed is a nonprofit organization based in Wauesha, Wis., that has focused on the work-based learning movement in Wisconsin for over 25 years. It partneers with schools, businesses, and communities across the Midwest and beyond to create scalable, high-quality work-based learning solutions that strengthen education systems, talent pipelines, and local economies.