MADISON – Secretaries of two state
agencies and the leader of the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board
today announced the selection of job training agencies for a new $400,000
employment and training pilot project to prepare unemployed and
under-employed individuals for demand-driven jobs in the Milwaukee area,
such as in advanced manufacturing and health care.
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta
Gassman, Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) Secretary Rick Raemisch
and Donald Sykes, President of the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment
Board (MAWIB), announced Wisconsin Community Services and the Wisconsin
Regional Training Partnership / Big Step have been selected to implement
the innovative project.
The
pilot is part of Governor Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin – The Next Steps
plan to take Wisconsin’s economy to the next level, building on the
success of economic and workforce development efforts over the last five
years.
“This
pilot and other Grow Wisconsin steps we are taking will help
workers learn new skills and get good jobs, while meeting the need for
skilled workers in the Milwaukee area,” Governor Doyle said. “This will
help strengthen Milwaukee’s economy, and a thriving Milwaukee will drive
strong, economic growth statewide.”
The pilot will
provide soft and occupational skills training, as well as support and
retention services, to at least 100 individuals over the course of one
year, with a goal of having all participants placed in jobs paying a
minimum of $12 per hour plus benefits, with the capacity to move up to
higher-paying work. To fund the project, DWD and MAWIB will each
contribute $100,000, with DOC contributing $200,000.
“This
innovative partnership builds on the success of our employment and
training programs, developing a comprehensive approach to help reduce
unemployment, address labor shortages and connect employers with skilled
workers,” Secretary Gassman said. “This collaborative effort will help
place unemployed and under-employed Milwaukee residents, including those
on probation and parole, into demand-driven jobs with benefits, while
meeting the hiring needs of area employers.”
Secretary Gassman
said the pilot will combine elements of
the most successful employment and training programs with best practices
to create a comprehensive model, one that can be replicated statewide.
The Wisconsin
Regional Training Partnership / Big Step will receive $195,000 to provide
training for jobs in construction, manufacturing, welding, painting,
electrical, sewer and water services, and customer services. The Wisconsin
Community Services will receive $194,990 to provide training for jobs in
welding, auto mechanics and printing.
DOC Secretary
Raemisch said: “We are pleased to be a partner in implementing this
innovative pilot program in the
Milwaukee community. When offenders are gainfully employed, productive
members of the community, they are much less likely to reoffend. Lower
recidivism means fewer new crimes, fewer new victims, fewer taxpayer
resources spent on the criminal justice and corrections systems, and a
safer Milwaukee in the long run."
Milwaukee Area WIB President Sykes added:
“This pilot will provide our community with a first hand look at the
challenges and needs we have in connecting unemployed individuals and
re-entry populations with family supporting jobs.”
In February, the partners announced the
project and solicited competitive bids from eligible private and
non-profit community organizations. MAWIB will administer and monitor the
release of funds to the selected organizations, which will provide
training, case management, support and retention services to help
participants succeed in the project.
#####
04/14/2008
