News Summary
Milwaukee has launched a $2 million workforce initiative named Growth Opportunities Milwaukee (GO MKE) aimed at assisting justice-involved youth. The program will provide paid work experiences, mentorship, and skill training for 160 youths aged 15 to 18. The initiative also plans to address local workforce needs by offering advanced manufacturing skills training for up to 600 participants, reflecting a commitment to enhance employment opportunities and support marginalized communities.
Milwaukee Launches $2 Million Workforce Initiative for Justice-Involved Youth
Milwaukee has introduced a new workforce initiative called Growth Opportunities Milwaukee (GO MKE), backed by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. This program is designed to assist justice-involved youth by helping them transition towards successful careers and steering them away from the justice system. GO MKE aims to enroll 160 youths between the ages of 15 and 18, providing them with paid work experience, mentorship, leadership development, case management, and crucial skills training.
Participants will be placed in various industries, including construction, technology, and advanced manufacturing, and will have opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials. The Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services will refer eligible youth to the program, while the City of Milwaukee Office of Community Wellness and Safety will provide necessary violence prevention services. Additionally, the City of Milwaukee Office of African American Affairs will host case managers on-site to connect participants with community resources.
Employ Milwaukee’s president and CEO highlighted that providing paid work experience significantly enhances the long-term outcomes for justice-involved youth.
Expanded Manufacturing Skills Training
Alongside GO MKE, Milwaukee County’s workforce development board is launching a program aimed at offering manufacturing skills training to up to 600 participants with diverse experience levels. This initiative, backed by $1.3 million in funding over four years, features accelerated boot camps and classes focusing on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and medical equipment manufacturing. The first training sessions are scheduled to commence in fall 2024, with AI courses being offered by Gener8tor.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, the City of Milwaukee, and Gener8tor are collaborating on this initiative, along with industry leaders like Komatsu and Rockwell Automation. Participants will not incur any costs for this training program, and regular manufacturing hiring events will be organized to facilitate connections between employers and job seekers.
Addressing Local Workforce Needs
Employ Milwaukee operates various programs aimed at enhancing workforce readiness, such as Earn and Learn, which provides paid workplace experiences for youth, and Camp RISE, aimed at exposing children to career opportunities. Although Employ Milwaukee faced challenges in previous years due to fiscal mismanagement, corrective measures are currently underway to improve these issues.
The manufacturing training initiative is a critical response to the urgent need for skilled workers in the U.S. manufacturing sector. Projections indicate a labor shortage of 2 million workers by 2030, highlighting the necessity for aggressive recruitment and training efforts to meet industry demands. Recently, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced nearly $10.3 million in grants through the Worker Advancement Initiative, aimed at supporting regional workforce development organizations and projected to assist over 1,400 Wisconsinites in employment through paid work-based learning and training.
Additionally, Veolia North America appointed Ashanti Hamilton as Workforce Development Manager to supervise the Water & Wastewater Workforce Center initiative focused on training and recruiting a diverse local workforce for the water sector.
The collective efforts of Employ Milwaukee and its partners reflect a concerted push towards addressing existing gaps in workforce training and employment opportunities, particularly for marginalized youth and individuals in the manufacturing sector.
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Additional Resources
- BizTimes: Employ Milwaukee Receives $2 Million Federal Grant
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Manufacturing Skills Training Focus
- Urban Milwaukee: Gov Evers Announces Workforce Funding
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Workforce Development
- TMJ4: Ashanti Hamilton Joins Veolia North America
- Google Search: Milwaukee Workforce Initiative
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