Learn Local at Portage Campus!

Take personal and professional development courses at Madison College’s Portage campus. See what classes we’re offering and register today!

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Noncredit Courses

Sharpen your skills or hone your craft!

Professional Development Classes

During this virtual lunch and learn series, you will have the opportunity to experience a variety of different leadership topics. The series consists of 10 different topics. Topic include Preventing Burnout - Self-care and Self-awareness Focus, Preventing Burnout – Team Focus, Leading Across Generations, Transitioning from Peer to a Leader, Change Management & Rooms of Change, Bringing New Employees into the Organization, Workplace Resilience, Colors Personality, The Art of Active Listening and Crucial Conversations. You are welcome to sign up for the topics you are interested in.
Online Live, ongoing through 3/28, Friday, 11:30 AM-12:30 PM Instructor: Mary Bjorklund
Reclaim control over your daily life. Discover strategies for shedding the burden of too many decisions by optimizing your routine, organizing your day and week for success. Learn the art of handling tasks promptly by eliminating or postponing actions. We'll also explore the power of single-tasking to increase your focus and productivity. Say goodbye to decision fatigue and welcome a more streamlined, efficient, and less stressful way of approaching your day.
#65540, Online Live, 2/12, Wednesday, 5-6 PM Instructor: Mary Okon
The workplace has evolved, and leading remote or hybrid teams has become an essential skill for today’s leaders. Balancing productivity, motivation, and collaboration in virtual or blended environments can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can create a high-performing and engaged team no matter where they are. This one-hour interactive session equips leaders and team members with actionable insights and tools to thrive in remote or hybrid work settings. From mastering virtual communication to fostering team cohesion and culture, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to lead effectively in a distributed workplace.
#67939, Online Live, 2/27, Thursday, 11 AM-12:30 PM Instructor: Amy Johnson
What is technical writing and why is it so important? Professionals, technical experts, and managers all require communication skills at work. Learn how to effectively communicate with an intended audience to clearly convey your intended information. Apply the principles and guidelines for technical communication through the development and review of documents, graphics and visuals.
#66640, Online, 3/18-4/15, Instructor: Kara Vogel
Hiring the right people is critical to building a successful organization, but it takes more than instinct to identify the best candidate. This comprehensive course is designed for anyone involved in the hiring process. In this interactive training, participants will learn how to implement compliant and consistent hiring practices, create compelling job descriptions, master candidate sourcing strategies, and conduct effective interviews that uncover top talent. Whether you’re looking to refine your current hiring approach or build a process from the ground up, this course provides actionable tools and insights to hire right the first time.
#67929, Portage Campus, 3/19, Thursday, 8:30 AM-12 PM Instructor: Amy Johnson
From onboarding to crossboarding and upskilling, teams spend a good amount of time on training. Are you investing that time wisely? This full-day intensive workshop helps teams assess training strengths and challenges to better find
strategies that fit their workplace. Participants will build coaching and performance management skills for common training scenarios and leave with more confidence to teach others.
#67926, Portage Campus, 4/10, Thursday, 9 AM-4:30 PM Instructor: Amy Johnson
This course is a unique blend of key project management concepts and applied training that you can immediately apply to your projects. Gain specific tools for all phases of the project life cycle to successfully manage and deliver results at home, at work or in any project situation. Learn how to develop project plans and requirements, identify scope, develop milestones and action plans, prepare estimates, and monitor and manage projects.
#67099, Online Live, 4/15, 4/22 & 4/29, Tuesday, 5:30-8 PM Instructor: Leo Sedlmeyer
This American Heart Association course is designed for anyone with limited or no medical training and covers  Adult/Child CPR & AED, Infant CPR and choking relief skills for all ages. Learn first aid basics for the most common first aid emergencies, including how to recognize them, how to call for help, and how to perform lifesaving skills.
#67694, Portage Campus, 4/22, Tuesday, 4:30-9:30 PM Instructor: Frank Loyo
In today’s fast-paced work environments, employee wellbeing is critical to maintaining a productive, engaged, and resilient workforce. Employers have a unique opportunity to promote mental health awareness and implement practices that support their employees’ overall wellbeing. This hands-on course designed to help leaders build a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health and addresses the challenges of stress and burnout. Participants will explore the impact of mental health on workplace dynamics, learn the roles team members can play in fostering a supportive environment, and create actionable burnout prevention plans using proven models and practices.
#67931, Portage Campus, 5/2, Friday, 8:30 AM-12 PM Instructor: Amy Johnson
Step into a safer, more respectful workplace with this essential course on bullying and harassment. Discover the key differences between these behaviors, the legal protections available, and the roles and responsibilities every employee and leader holds in preventing a hostile work environment. Gain practical steps you can take if harassment happens to you, and learn how to be a proactive ally in creating a healthy, positive workplace.
Online, self-paced
Ready to take your hiring process to the next level? This course will guide you through every step of conducting outstanding job interviews, from thorough preparation to impactful follow-up. You’ll learn how to design insightful interview questions, set a welcoming tone, and ensure a fair, positive experience for every candidate. Gain the tools to identify top talent while building a strong reputation as an employer of choice.
Online, Self-Paced
Unlock the skills to negotiate with confidence and effectiveness. This course covers essential strategies, including setting goals, understanding prerequisites, defining your Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA), and mastering the negotiation stages. Learn to prepare effectively by developing a strong Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA) and countering common tactics. Through interactive exercises and real-world scenarios, you’ll practice techniques to close negotiations successfully. Ideal for professionals seeking to enhance deal-making skills and build mutually beneficial agreements with partners, clients, and stakeholders.
Online, Self-Paced

Enrichment Classes

This introductory class is open to all levels and will cover the fundamentals of welding and plasma cutting as you make a pre-determined garden sculpture or seasonal décor.
#67698, Portage Campus, 1/30-3/6, Thursday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Amanda Neumaier
Crochet is the latest hot fiber art and a great hobby for the summer months. In this class you will learn equipment selection, basic crocheting stitches and processes, pattern interpretation, yarn study, perfecting gauge, and joining a seam. We’ll work on fun, useful and interesting projects to perfect your skills. No prior crochet experience is required for this class.
#65510, Portage Campus, 2/5-3/5 (no class 2/19), Wednesday, 4-6 PM Instructor: Tammy Smith
See digital art in a whole new light. This class is a beginner level exploration of the tools, theory, techniques and tricks of working with digital devices and creative software to create digital artworks. Learn to produce digital paintings and conceptual art by applying traditional art skills in a virtual environment. Required: An iPad with apple pencil, or Android tablet with a stylus, OR desktop/laptop computer with a Wacom or other drawing tablet attached. The primary app we will use for the class is Procreate for iPad, but participants can also use other software including Sketchbook, Krita, Painter, or Photoshop.
#65224, Online Live, 2/10-3/3, Monday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Justin King
Learn new skills and techniques for digital painting with our intermediate class. Through five projects over five weeks you will explore planning, thinking in shapes, sketching and coloring, shading methods, and textures. Required: Tablet/iPad with apple pencil or stylus OR desktop with Wacom or other drawing tablet attached. Sketchbook app.
#65360, Online Live, 3/10-3/31, Monday, 6-9 PM Instructor: Justin King
The instructor will teach the handlers how to train their dog for a lifelong commitment to basic manners and obedience. The dog will be taught to relinquish an object, enter/exit commands, the off command and how to retrieve. The dog will learn basic manners and obedience commands. Information will be given on dog laws grooming, dog proofing your home, just to name a few. The dog handler must be a minimum of 12 yrs. of age. The dog must have the required vaccinations including bordetella (kennel cough) and written proof must be provided at the first class. The dog should be over 12 months old. This class is held outside and individual class sessions may be rescheduled due to weather.
#65318, Portage Campus, 4/16-5/21, Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 PM Instructor: Jamie Dresen
The class will learn the secrets of successful puppy training. The puppies will be taught to relinquish an object, enter/exit commands, the off command and how to retrieve. The puppy will learn basic manners and obedience commands. Information will be given on dog laws grooming, puppy proofing your home, just to name a few. The dog handler must be a minimum of 12 yrs. of age. The puppy must have the required vaccinations including bordetella (kennel cough) and written proof must be provided at the first class. The puppy should be 3 months – 12 months old. This class is held outside and individual class sessions may be rescheduled due to weather.
#65316, Portage Campus, 4/16-5/21, Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 PM Instructor: Jamie Dresen
Unleash your dog’s potential through MATC agility class!!! The dog and handler will be taught agility through positive motivational training methods. The dog will develop confidence and trust in the handler through proper introduction and socialization to agility obstacles. The bond between handler and dog will be slowly developed through step by step instruction on agility obstacles and tunnels. The agility class will be fun and have lots of playtime. Sportsmanship is a priority. The dog must demonstrate its willingness to work as a team with the handler for praise and reward!!! All dog will be on leash at all times. Safety will be taught for dog and handler on agility obstacles and tunnels correctly. The proper technique for running an agility course will be taught by the instructor.
#65214, Portage Campus, 4/17-5/22, Thursday, 5:30-6:30 PM Instructor: Jamie Dresen

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