Northwood Tech president outlines workforce gains and a 40‑unit housing plan for Hayward

John Will, president of Northwood Technical College, told the Sawyer County Board of Supervisors that the college’s service district is growing and that its FY25 projected headcount is roughly 14,000. "Our projected enrollment is 14,000," Will said, and he added the college’s most recent graduate follow‑up found "94% of those graduates were placed within six months of graduating."

Will said the college is expanding short‑term and credential programs to meet local workforce needs, highlighting paramedic technician, truck driving (a 10‑week program with strong placement), a just‑launched medical lab technician cohort and a registered apprenticeship for surgical technologists. He described mobile training assets — including a welding trailer and a planned mobile dental lab — to reach residents across the college’s large multi‑county district.

Will also described Northwood Tech’s role in a local housing initiative. "We wrote a grant — we’ve got $6 million to pass through to a partner housing developer," he said, identifying Impact 7 as the developer. The grant is intended to support three 40‑unit projects in communities including Hayward, with the Hayward site sited south of the hospital. Will said the design will favor a cottage style to fit the community and that tenant selection will be income‑targeted, with most units for households at 50–60% of area median income and three units at 30% of AMI. He said construction for a phase could take about nine months, with some units potentially available sooner.

Will addressed circulating misinformation about the project’s purpose, saying the units are not intended for undocumented workers and are instead aimed at "the people who are living and working in the community every single day." He also outlined the college’s planned community‑facing space inside the development — a technology‑equipped community room for advising, tutoring and to host mobile equipment.

Why it matters: The college’s expansion of short‑term credentials and mobile training aims to address local labor shortages in health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing. The housing project would add deed‑restricted units targeted to local incomes, and the college’s community room is intended to reduce transportation and access barriers for residents seeking training and supports.

The county meeting included questions from board members about project timing, property management (Will said Impact 7 has an in‑house property management arm) and whether the Windrose Lane leased facility remains in use (Will said it does). Will closed by noting a revised college mission focused on strengthening communities and supporting student success. The board did not take formal action on the college presentation; Will left the meeting after the Q&A.