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North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
WDA 6 - Workforce News Bulletin
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Jennifer Gear was divorced, financially stressed, and struggling to make ends meet when she decided her degree in child care would not adequately support her if she remained employed in that field. Jennifer checked into online classes and night school and made the decision to pursue a degree in business management. Only problem--the classes were very expensive. Jennifer heard about the WIA Adult Program and met with Forward Service Corporation's WIA Adult Case Manager, Jamie Arndt. And, the rest is history. Jennifer exclaims, "To think, just three short years ago I felt hopeless and overwhelmed. Now I look back and feel so accomplished in both my personal and professional life. Read Jennifer's story HERE.
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Welcome to the North Central WI Workforce Development Board's April - 2013 issue of Workforce News Bulletin.
In This Issue:
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Tom Younger Retires after 25 Years of Service to DWD - Originally from Madison, Tom moved to Wausau in 1988 to take a job with the State of Wisconsin. Younger started with the Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations as a Job Service Specialist working with both job seekers and businesses until he was promoted to a lead worker position in the W2 program. In 2001, he was promoted to a DWD supervisor and then acting Job Service Director. In 2008 he was promoted to WDA 6's Workforce Development Area Manager.
Rene Daniels, NCWWDB's executive director recently recognized Younger during a Board meeting in Wausau. "Tom has been a tremendous partner to me and to the Board as a whole. We have really worked well together and he will truly be missed," Daniels announced.
Tom was also a NCWWDB Board member for ten years and actively served on the Board's One-Stop Operator Committee. Tom's career officially ended on April 1, 2013. Read entire article HERE. Back to top
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 Spring Job Fair Happenings -
by: Ali Konkel, Research & Planning Specialist
The North Central Wisconsin Job Fair was held at Northcentral Technical College on April 10th. Approximately 60 local area employers were on hand to meet with the 700 job seekers who attended the event. The Central Wisconsin Job Fair was held on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids. Sixty employers along with over 450 job seekers attended the event. Each of the fairs showcased a wide range of employers, from those in the healthcare and services industries to manufacturing and transportation businesses, all looking for qualified applicants.
NCWWDB was involved in two unique aspects of the job fairs. At each event, a full-length mirror was set up for job seekers to take a moment to consider the appropriateness of their dress prior to meeting with employers. This is part of an ongoing effort to stress the importance of appearance to job seekers that attend job fairs. Those who took the time to look in the mirror were entered into a drawing for a gift card to a local clothing store.
Another service provided by the NCWWDB was the Computer Corner. Several laptops, staffed by Board staff, were set up for job seekers to complete online job applications. Staff provided assistance to those in need and was on hand to make copies of resumes. The Computer Corner provides a service to job seekers and employers alike. Back to top |
 Youth Programs Promote Industrial Workforce Awareness - While many employers in our Workforce Development Area are having issues finding workers with the specific skill set they require, some employers have also taken a different approach to solving their shortage or "skills gap". Schuette Metals developed a program this year to introduce area students to the field of welding, a field in which they had many openings for. The company arranged for a welding simulator to be available in area schools and then held a welding competition for interested students.
In a slightly different approach, the NCWWDB has expanded on last year's Heavy Metal Tour. While last year focused on the Grow North Economic Development Region, this year we will move into the central area of our Workforce Development Area. The program is aimed at introducing eighth grade students to the many different skills and knowledge sets needed for employment in manufacturing and the potential that employment has for them. While not as skill specific as the welding competition, the tour has the same purpose --to show students there are challenging, interesting jobs that provide good wages and benefits right here in our own region. Read entire article HERE. Back to top For more information about NCWWDB's Employer Services, call Bruce Trimble at 715-204-1647 or email at: btrimble@ncwwdb.org.
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Career Spotlight: Automotive Service Technicians
Over 1,000 individuals in the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development area are employed as Automotive Service Technicians. Given the importance of transportation to the area's workforce, these workers provide a critical service.
Projections indicate that the occupation will grow by almost 6% over the next five years. While national numbers show that currently, the majority of workers have no education beyond high school, the high tech nature of today's automobiles is making technical training imperative for those wishing to enter and advance in the field. Find out more about Automotive Service Technicians in this month's Occupation Profile by clicking HERE. Back to top For more information on labor market and workforce data contact Ali Konkel at 715-204-1648 or email her at: akonkel@ncwwdb.org.
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 Did You Know: The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) can help businesses that are developing emergency evacuation plans? - Emergency Preparedness: What's the Plan? In light of the recent hurricane on the eastern seaboard, more employers may be considering developing emergency preparedness plans and need answers on how to include employees with disabilities. A guide provided by JAN can help businesses that are developing emergency evacuation plans. Accommodation and Compliance Series: Employers' Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans addresses the legal requirements for emergency evacuation under the ADA and focuses on identifying people who may need accommodations in an emergency evacuation based on the EEOC guidance, common accommodations, and plan implementation and maintenance.
Although employers are not required to have emergency evacuation plans under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if employers covered by the ADA opt to have such plans they are required to include people with disabilities. Read entire article HERE. Back to top For more information about NCWWDB's Disability Employment Initiative, call Patty Branton at 715-347-3537 or email her at: pbranton@ncwwdb.org. |
NCWWDB and Centergy Host Health Care Workforce Alliance Feasibility Session - On April 9, 2013, health care leaders from north central Wisconsin met in Mosinee to consider and discuss creating a local health care workforce alliance.
As the keynote speaker at the meeting, Judy Warmuth, vice president for workforce development with the Wisconsin Hospital Association, described current health care employment, the need for workforce data and discussed the need for workforce planning to assure a future workforce. She also outlined the work being done by several of the regional alliances.
The meeting concluded discussing opportunities and challenges, as well as defining goals, objectives, and possible next steps. An Executive Committee was identified and will continue to meet to further the direction of the newly established North Central Wisconsin Healthcare Alliance. Read entire article HERE. Back to top
If you would like more information about the North Central Wisconsin Healthcare Alliance, contact NCWWDB's Special Project Manager Diane Weiler, at 715-204-1644 or dweiler@ncwwdb.org.
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WDA 6
Statistics Report
March 2013
The February 2013 unemployment rate in Wisconsin was 7.1%.
All counties in the NCWWDB region
experienced a decrease in unemployment rates between February and March 2013
Of the ten counties with the highest unemployment rates, four are found in the North Central Region: Vilas 13.3% (4th highest in the state) Adams 12.0% (7th highest in the state) Oneida 11.5%
(8th highest in the state)
and Forest 11.4%
(10th highest in the state).
Portage County has the lowest unemployment rate in the region at 7.3%
One Warn Notice has been issued for the NCWWDA area in 2013.
*WARN is a required communication for those employers with 100 or more employees. Employers with fewer than 100 employees
may have laid people off
during this time.
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WIA
Training Report
Program Year 2012
From July 1, 2012 to April 22, 2013, NCWWDB served 214 Youth, 246 Adults, and 1,153 Dislocated Workers in WIA Title 1 funded programs.
Special Training Projects:
- 13 participants graduated on April 25th from the fourth Machine Tool/CNC course at Northcentral Technical College. 12 employers participated in the pre-interviewing event held on April 2, 2013.
- 9 participants recently started a Machine Tool course at Mid-State Technical College on February 18, 2013.
- 12 participants started the fourth Production Welding course at Northcentral Technical College on March 18th.
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WDA 6 Job Center
Workshops Calendar
Check out what's being offered FREE in your local Wisconsin Job Center!
Click here to view calendar
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FREE SEMINAR
F.I.T.T.
F.I.T.T. - Females in Technology & Trades Event Northcentral Technical College in Wausau is offering a free event especially for females on May 3, 2013
9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.,
Room E101- E102.
This is an opportunity for females to explore careers in the Technical & Trades Industry and hear from other women already working in the field. Attendees will learn more about
Architectural Design & Technology
Automotive Technology
Welding, Graphic Communications Technologies, Machine Tool Technics, Mechanical Design Technology (and more...)
Space is limited! Register by contacting Sue Clark at clarks@ntc.edu or 715.803.1162.
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| Job Center
WDA 6
Job Center usage report reflects measured statistics comprised of the total number of clients utilizing the resources and core services available at the Adams; Marshfield; Rhinelander; Wausau; & Wis. Rapids
Job Centers each month.
March 2013:
- Total Clients - 2,973
- New Clients - 195
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Agency Visit - 791
(e.g. W2, WIA, etc.)
- Military Vet/Eligible Spouse - 179
- Job Search JCoW- 990
- Resume Assist - 24
- Job Search other - 377
- Career Exploration- 66
* Depending on the number of services utilized per visit, clients may be included in
more than one measure.
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Recruitment & Retention Tools for Employers
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Job Center of Wisconsin
Convenient. Fast. Free.
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