On Wednesday, August 25, Secretary Gassman visited Flambeau Rivers Paper in Park Falls to announce a $463,488 Wisconsin Industry Partnership grant to train workers for biofuel production. Later in the day, Secretary Gassman visited Wausau Paper in Rhinelander to announce a $112,760 Wisconsin Industry Partnership grant to train workers in advanced manufacturing. The visits were part of Governor Doyle’s annual "Up North" Tour.
Read the News Release: Sec. Gassman Announces $463,488 Industry Partnership Training Grant to Fuel Bio-Energy Sector in Northern Wisconsin
Read the News Release: Sec. Gassman Announces $112,760 Industry Partnership Grant for North Central Wisconsin Advanced Manufacturing
As part of Governor Doyle’s 'Up North' Tour, Secretary Gassman met on Tuesday, August 24, with Dirk Wachsmuth of Bayfield, a successfully launched a small commercial fishing business, Wachsmuth Fisheries, along with his wife, Elizabeth, through services provided through the DWD’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The DVR has been working with Dirk Wachsmuth since 2007.
Read the News Release: Sec. Gassman: Under Governor Doyle’s Leadership, Vocational Rehabilitation Strengthens State Workforce
On Friday, August 20, Secretary Gassman visited the Job Center in Rhinelander, where she met people served by DWD and its partner, the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. The individuals have been served through Governor Doyle’s workforce initiatives, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding, and existing employment and training programs.
Read the News Release: Sec. Gassman Highlights Governor Doyle’s Job Training Initiatives, Salutes Workers Served, Now Employed or Job Ready
On Friday, August 20, Secretary Gassman visited the Antigo campus of Northcentral Technical College (NTC), where she announced a $151,830 Wisconsin Industry Partnership grant to train workers for the north central region’s transportation sector. The sector is expected to add more than 250 jobs by 2014. Secretary Gassman awarded the grant to the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, DWD’s regional partner which proposed the Transportation Supportive Workforce project. The board worked with seven employers in the transportation sector to develop the project. NTC will provide training for workers and job seekers in the transportation sector.
Read the News Release: Sec. Gassman Announces $151,830 Industry Partnership Training Grant to Strengthen North Central Transportation Sector
On Thursday, August 12, Secretary Gassman visited MBA-Architects in Holmen to highlight a successful On-the-Job Training initiative for people with disabilities. Supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, the initiative is providing job opportunities for hundreds of Wisconsin residents, helping them achieve their employment goals. Read the News Release: Governor Doyle Announces Additional Assistance for Dislocated Workers at Weather Shield, Medford
On Thursday, July 22, Secretary Gassman visited Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) in Wisconsin Rapids, where she highlighted the $4.55 million WIA funding that Governor Doyle announced in early July that will help thousands of workers gain skills to succeed in the future economy.
Read the News Release: Secretary Gassman: Governor Doyle’s Workforce Agenda Preparing Wisconsinites for 21st Century Labor Market
On Thursday, July 8, during a visit to the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership facility in Milwaukee, Governor Doyle announced $4.55 million in federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding for programs that will prepare Wisconsin workers and employers to compete in the future economy.
Read the news release: "Governor Doyle Announces $4.55 Million Investment in Worker Training"
On June 22, Sec. Gassman met with individuals interested in expanding their skills and doing so with the assistance of Opportunity Grants, which allow workers in low-wage jobs to receive up to $1,000 in financial assistance to attend technical college courses and build skills for jobs in high-demand industries.
- Read the "Industry Partnership Grant . . ." news release
On June 22, Secretary Gassman presented a $25,000 Industry Partnership grant on behalf of Governor Doyle to the Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board to help leaders in that region’s health care sector develop training strategies to meet employment projections in the high-growth sector.
Secretary Gassman on Friday welcomed Dr. Ed Montgomery, White House Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, to Wisconsin, where he visited with workers and community leaders in Janesville and Kenosha.
While in Janesville, Dr. Montgomery toured the Rock County Job Center, where he learned about the many employment services and programs available to the public. Following the tour, Dr. Montgomery, along with Secretary Gassman, U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan and other officials, heard presentations at the UAW Hall in Janesville.
Later Friday, Dr. Montgomery visited with Kenosha officials at UAW Local 72.
- Read the Sec. Gassman Welcomes White House Official press release
Secretary Roberta Gassman was invited to testify Tuesday, May 25, 2010, before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance during its hearing, "Reducing Overpayments and Increasing Quality in the Unemployment System," in Washington, D.C.
Secretary Gassman spoke to Wisconsin's proud tradition of protecting workers and their families. She shared information about Wisconsin's efforts to strengthen customer service and ensure integrity within the state's unemployment insurance system, even with an unprecedented increase in claims volume due to the national recession.
Also testifying were Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training with the U.S. Department of Labor, and Mike Cullen, Managing Director for On Point Technology of Colorado Springs.
"We appreciate that unemployment insurance is a federal-state partnership, and it could not be more important than it is now as we work together to keep America strong," Secretary Gassman said.
- Read Sec. Gassman's Written Testimony
- Watch the Recorded Hearing Online
Secretary Gassman was joined by dislocated workers and regional workforce partners, as she encouraged people to take advantage of training available through Wisconsin's Job Centers. The National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC) program is now available free for a limited time to Milwaukee County jobseekers. At the Regional Workforce Alliance event, she commended attendees for their success with the program.
- Read the National Career Readiness news release
Secretary Roberta Gassman met a new generation of workers during recent visits to Youth Apprenticeship sites, the Crave Brothers Dairy Farm near Waterloo and Generac Power Systems in Eagle. There she saw apprentices working with cutting-edge, dairy farm technology as well as advanced manufacturing.
Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program has been a model to other states from the start. Wisconsin is the only state that operates a Youth Apprenticeship program with statewide skill standards that are consistent for every participating student though out the state, from Ashland to Kenosha. DWD administers the program in partnership with participating employers and school districts.
Under Governor Doyle, funding for the Youth Apprenticeship has doubled, creating school-to-career opportunities for twice as many high school students. Students can gain valuable work experience, learn job skills and explore career options, all while earning a pay check. Employers have opportunities to mentor and recruit young workers to help meet the need for skilled labor in the coming years.
More:
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced a $553,000 federal grant to provide employment and training assistance to members of the Wisconsin National Guard returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and other veterans searching for work.
"This grant will help us provide additional services to meet the employment needs of our veterans, especially the brave men and women returning from their tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan this fall and next year," Governor Doyle said. "They have served their country, now we must do our best to help them."
Read the Veterans Needs News Release
DWD Secretary Gassman
DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman spoke on career opportunities for women in a green economy on October 29, 2009 in her presentation to the Women, Jobs & Wisconsin's Green Economy Public Policy Roundtable.
The event, held at the UW Research Park - MGE Innovation Center, was hosted by the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau and included approximately 50 attendees, made up of business, academic, government and other community leaders and experts on the green economy in Wisconsin, job training for women and/or entrepreneurship for women.
On the Governor’s behalf, Secretary Roberta Gassman awarded a $100,000 workforce training grant to help fledging biotech firms become successful like TomoTherapy Incorporated. The grant is one of six, totaling $600,000, that are being awarded this summer under the Emerging Industries Skills Partnership initiative, part of Governor Doyle's Grow Wisconsin strategy for workforce and economic development. Secretary Gassman awarded the grant on Tuesday, August 4th, in an event at TomoTherapy.
For more information, read the training grant press release.
At the home of a young Beloit family, Secretary Roberta Gassman recently announced a Recovery-funded project providing "green jobs" to young adults and helping homeowners conserve energy. On behalf of Governor Doyle, Secretary Gassman launched the Energy Advocate Youth Pilot, a DWD demonstration project. With funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 25 young adults are working as energy advocates in Beloit, Green Bay, Racine, Superior and Wisconsin Rapids, showing homeowners how to save money and conserve energy while protecting the environment.
For more information, read the ARRA green jobs press release.
On Governor Doyle’s behalf, Secretary Roberta Gassman launched the Invasive Species Demonstration
Project that uses American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to employ 55 young adults in "green jobs" this summer.
Hired as Watercraft Inspectors, the young workers are helping combat aquatic invasive species, such as Eurasian
watermilfoil, zebra mussels and the deadly fish virus VHS. The project is in collaboration with the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR). DWD provided ARRA funding to the state’s 11 regional workforce development boards to employ five workers
in each region. The ARRA-funded project is one of many that will employ approximately 4,000 Wisconsin young adults
statewide through June 2011. On July 23rd, Secretary Gassman met two of the workers at the High Cliff State Park marina
on the shores of Lake Winnebago. For more information, read the
Governor's
Green Jobs Press Release.
On June 18, DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman
assisted Governor Doyle in announcing 11 grants totaling $951,000.
Four of them are training grants of nearly $795,000, funding that
will leverage an additional $920,000 from regional partners to help
meet the workforce needs in emerging and high-growth sectors, such
as health care, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology and renewable
energy. For more information, read the
Governor's Training Grants Press Release.
Governor Jim Doyle announced today that Wisconsin will receive an additional $14,851,318 to provide career training and reemployment services to workers who lose their jobs as a result of outsourcing and foreign trade.
Governor's Dislocated Workers press release
Governor Doyle and Secretary Gassman addressed
business, education and community leaders, as well as local
government officials, from southeastern Wisconsin at a ceremony
opening Snap-on Tools’ new center, Innovation Works, in Kenosha.
Pictured with Governor Doyle and Secretary Gassman is Andy Ginger,
Snap-on’s Chief Marketing Officer and summit emcee. For more about
the event, read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article that appeared
Saturday, May 30:
http://www.jsonline.com/business/46506267.html.
Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today urged biotech, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing firms to join DWD’s regional partners in applying for $700,000 in new worker training grants under Governor Doyle’s Emerging Industries Skills Partnership (EISP) initiative. More.
Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today encouraged Wisconsin manufacturers to join their regional workforce development agencies in applying for $85,000 in new funding that Governor Doyle has provided for training grants to help workers earn the industry’s top national credential, Manufacturing Skill Standards Certification (MSSC). More.
Governor Jim Doyle announced a $600,500 Joyce Foundation grant that will reduce poverty by helping low-wage workers learn new skills and get better jobs in high growth sectors.
The Regional Industry Skills Education (RISE) initiative is intended to serve roughly 723,000 workers statewide who have a high school degree or less. Two of three jobs today require more education.
The RISE partnership is part of Governor Doyle’s efforts to prepare Wisconsin workers and businesses to succeed in the future economy. Earlier this year, he announced his Wisconsin Sector Strategies Initiative, which reflects a major change in the way the state and its partners will train workers for jobs of the future and meet the needs of employers in growing, emerging sectors.
Read the press release.
On Tuesday, April 21, Secretary Gassman addressed the Long-term
Care Training Conference in Wausau that DWD sponsored with its
regional partner, the North Central Wisconsin Workforce
Development Board. With support from DWD, the North Central WDB
and Cooperative Care, a worker-owned cooperative providing home
care and personal care services, are developing an
apprenticeship program to help meet the area’s need for health
care workers. Secretary Gassman presented John Prindle,
Executive Director of Cooperative Care, with a certificate of
registration from the DWD Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards.
The specialist program is the first health care related
apprenticeship program in Wisconsin.
In a move to help the unemployed find work and get the economy back on track, Governor Jim Doyle has signed an executive order requiring all contractors and subcontractors involved in recovery projects to post job openings on JobCenterofWisconsin.com, Wisconsin’s Internet employment site that is free, user-friendly and accessible at all hours of the day. Executive Order.