May 2010Vol 1, Issue 23
Workforce Development in Wisconsin WWDA Logo
Greetings!  
 
DC photoMembers of the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association continue to work with Wisconsin's employers and job seekers to find workforce and economic solutions.  We are proud of the programs and services that  helped over 1 million visitors to our Job Centers in 2009.
The Wisconsin Workforce Development Boards also provided 22,000 services to businesses
last year.
 
We will continue to provide the most innovative and streamlined services possible to our customers. WWDA would like to thank all the legislators their questions about what can be done to help their constituents.  Please do not ever hesitate to contact us.
In the News...
 
DC photoThe Department of Corrections has received approval to implement the Becky Young Plan.  Included in this plan is an expansion of the Windows to Work model to all eleven workforce development board regions.  The Windows to Work model promotes putting strong connections in place to assist inmates as they transition from prison into the community and workforce.
In This Issue
New Pilot Workforce Re-Entry Program
NorthCentral Wisconsin WDB Offers Short-Term Training
Wondering What the Public Has to Say About Workforce Development Boards and Their Services?
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NorthCentral Wisconsin WDB Offers Short-Term Training Opportunities to Workers in Region
 
Using American Reinvestment & Recovery Act (ARRA) funds, short term training courses are being offered in the occupational areas of Building Construction, Customer Service and Personal Care Worker.
 
Building Construction will be offered in Rhinelander at Nicolet Area Technical College.  The training will start May 17 and run through June 11, 2010.  Participants who complete the Nicolet program will have the basic skills sought by construction firms, and will earn two credits toward their Carpentry Technical Diploma if they want to further their education in this occupation. 
 
Building Construction will also be offered in the Wausau area by the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters located in Rothschild.  The training will start May 17 and run through June 11, 2010.  This hands-on Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship training will focus on jobsite safety, basic carpentry skills and the soft skills required for success in the carpentry trade. 
 
Personal Care Worker will be offered in Wausau through a collaborative agreement with Northcentral Technical College.  This short term training will prepare participants for delivering basic personal care to the elderly and persons with disabilities in their homes.  This 8-day training will also provide an exposure to healthcare occupations.
 
Customer Service training will be offered in Wausau at Northcentral Technical College.  This training will run from May 17 through June 25, 2010 and will address the basic fundamentals of customer service.  The curriculum will focus on business etiquette, time management, problem solving, interpersonal and team skills, and will highlight the essential software programs needed to be successful in this career.  Participants who successfully complete this program will earn six credits that will ladder onto either the Administrative Professional Associate Degree and/or the Marketing:  Business-to-Business Associate Degree.
 
Customer Service will be offered in Marshfield through a collaborative agreement with the University of Wisconsin - Marshfield/Wood County.  The training will run from May 10 through June 11, 2010 and will address the basic fundamentals of customer service.  The curriculum will focus on Business Etiquette, Time Management, Problem Solving, Team work, and will cover Windows Basics and Outlook 2007. 
NCWWDB's goal in offering these short term training courses is two-fold; to help unemployed workers increase their skills so they have the advantage of gaining employment in today's competitive market and to provide employers with a better prepared workforce, now and in the future.
New Pilot Workforce Re-Entry Program for Female Offenders in Green Bay Area
 
The Bay Area Workforce Development Board has received a federal Earmark grant to develop and pilot a program curriculum that will assist female offenders in Wisconsin to transition successfully back into local communities upon release.  
 
The grant, in the amount of $238,000, is through the US Department of Labor.  It was initiated by Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl and included in the recent federal budget.
 
"We have several reentry programs funded through the Workforce Investment Act for male offenders returning to our area," said Jim Golembeski, Executive Director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board.  "This is a great opportunity to address the unique needs of women who are in our state criminal justice system.  It's a population easily overlooked who really struggle to put their lives back together."
 
"Thanks to this grant and in partnership with the Bay Area Workforce Development Board we will further enhance the connections for women as they transition from prison into the community," Wisconsin Department of Corrections Reentry Director, Mary Kay Kollat said. "The Windows to Work program is a great strategy we have in place to promote the successful reentry of offenders back into the community, which means fewer new crimes, fewer new victims, and safer Wisconsin communities."
 
A team composed of experts from the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, Wisconsin Department Corrections, and other community agencies has already begun to develop the program curriculum.  A pilot program is planned for later in the year.  After evaluating the pilot effort, the program curriculum will be made available to others throughout the state.
Wondering What the Public Has to Say About Workforce Development Boards and Their Services?
 
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The Wisconsin Workforce Devopment Association has collected a number of 1-2 minute testimonials from employers, workers, and youth about their experiences with the Workforce Boards and the enormous impact on their lives.  You can now view them on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/WIWorkforceDevtAssoc
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Mari Kay
Wisconsin Workforce Development Association