Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

TOMMY G. THOMPSON Governor State of Wisconsin

For Immediate Release – Sept. 27, 1999
Contact: Darrin Schmitz (608) 266-9806
Heidi Kafura (608) 264-6811

MADISON — Gov. Tommy G. Thompson today announced the Racine County Workforce Development Center was selected as the best One-Stop Career Center of the year in the United States.

The Illinois-based National Alliance of Business (NAB) will honor the Racine County Workforce Development Center because of its comprehensive and coordinated approach to helping people find jobs and employers find workers.

Gov. Thompson said this recognition is another example of Wisconsin leading the nation in providing workforce development services to its businesses and job seekers. He said that the strength of the state’s Job Centers are a result of strong local leadership and a commitment to put the customer first.

Under Gov. Thompson’s leadership, Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to create a comprehensive statewide system of job centers where various government programs and services were consolidated under one roof. Wisconsin currently has 78 job centers, which amounts to 10% of the 780 job centers currently in existence nationwide. Wisconsin’s job centers are supported through the state Department of Workforce Development.

"The Racine County Career Development Center is the nation’s best in successfully integrating all employment and training programs into a one-stop shop to effectively serve the workforce needs of employers and job seekers," Gov. Thompson said. "Racine County has been extraordinarily successful in creating partnerships to confront challenges such as labor shortages, helping people on welfare find jobs, and identifying the need for training and life-long learning. I am very proud of this national honor for Racine County and all of Wisconsin."

The Racine County Workforce Development Center, which opened in October 1996, serves over 2,500 job seekers each month with counseling resources, workshops on job search techniques, resume writing, career planning, and skill training. The center also has a Career Discovery Center to focus on educational and employment planning for youth.

 
RACINE – ADD ONE

The partner agencies in the Racine County Workforce Development Center include:

• Wisconsin Job Service
• Southeast Private Industry Council
• Racine County Human Services, economic support division
• Gateway Technical College
• Racine County Economic Development Corp.
• Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• UW Parkside
• Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce
• Racine Unified School District

County officials will accept the award at the NAB annual conference in Washington DC, September 26.

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