DECEMBER 2023

WORKFORCE

CHRONICLES

Happy December! It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. I hope 2023 has brought joy, growth, and blessings to you and your loved ones. This time of year, I like to take pause and think about gratitude. One thing I’m grateful for this year is community. Community is everything! I’ve always said I approach my service work with the mentality of wearing a jersey, not a cape: you need a team around you, working together, to create real, substantial, and sustainable change.

We practice this mentality at Employ Milwaukee. We work for, and alongside, the community. The basis of workforce development is to assess and listen to our communities’ unique needs and challenges, and work together with community partners to create solutions that will have long-term impact. While we plan for long-term impact, we also sometimes get to see immediate impact, and these are moments that warm my heart. Last month, a woman who was a repeated client in our Resource Room, a free, on-site computer lab that offers a variety of assistance help for job seekers, returned to our office with the following letter:

“To all staff and volunteers at Employ Milwaukee,

Thank you very much for all your assistance. I am very grateful to you all. I could not ask for a better group of people to advocate/assist me in any life journey I may find myself facing. Please keep doing what you are doing. It is making a difference one person at a time. As a result of your support: I start working a new job November 2023 [in the public sector]. Thank you all again!!!

-Sharyl & family”

Stories like Sharyl’s are the backbone of what we do at Employ Milwaukee: helping connect job seekers to quality jobs in our community with family-sustaining wages. I am proud of Employ Milwaukee’s commitment to community and am grateful community members like Sharyl know they can come to us when they need assistance.

As the year closes out, I encourage you to consider the communities you are involved in, and make a point to make a positive impact on someone else within your community. Like Sharyl said; it’s all about changing lives one person at a time.

Enjoy the rest of your year and have a safe and Happy Holidays! 

Sincerely,



Chytania Brown

President & CEO

chytania.brown@employmilwaukee.org

Last week, Employ Milwaukee staff was able to serve over 50 families through our Thanksgiving Giveaway event. People came out from all over the community and were able to get connected to our programs and resources, as well as pick up turkeys and other Thanksgiving food staples! This is Employ Milwaukee's second annual Thanksgiving Giveaway, organized by our hardworking Community Engagement team. Thank you to Kroger for donating food supplies!

Employ Milwaukee Manager of Community Engagement & Agency Impact Mildred Coby (left), with community member.

NEXT UP: Employ Milwaukee's Community Engagement team will be handing out FREE winterization kits to prepare your home for the cold winter months. Winterization kits will be available throughout December at Employ Milwaukee job fairs, as well as available at partner library locations. Call us today to find out where and how to claim your winterization kit: 414-270-1700.

Employ Milwaukee is your expert on the labor market in Milwaukee County. See below for the latest metrics.

SUCCESS STORY

Employ Milwaukee Helps Bring Skills Training Back to the Local Jail!

Employ Milwaukee has partnered with the Milwaukee County Reintegration Center (CRC) and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to develop a welding classroom for inmates to gain hands-on occupational skills training and credentialing opportunities while incarcerated. The welding classroom marks the first time the CRC will offer on-site training since 2008, marking a major milestone in supporting the returning citizen population in Milwaukee County. This innovative program gives inmates the opportunity to earn credentials in a high-demand, high-wage job while serving time, providing them the skills that will allow them to pursue gainful employment upon release, reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

Integrating occupational skills training for inmates at the CRC helps to ensure returning citizens are prepared to meet the needs of local labor markets with the skilled valued by local employers. Employ Milwaukee is providing preemployment services for residents, as well as direct connection to the public workforce system and American Job Center services for residents post-release. Employ Milwaukee will also provide digital literacy and job readiness training for participants.

“Preemployment, cognitive behavioral therapy, and connections to post-employment resources using a trauma informed care approach have been proven to reduce repeat offenses. Our partnership with Milwaukee County CRC and MATC supports resident success by connecting them to a career pathway into good jobs, while also meeting our local employers’ demand for skilled talent” -Chytania Brown, President & CEO of Employ Milwaukee.

Employ Milwaukee Reentry Services Manager Wylbur Holloway (far right) speaking with Welding participants.

Do you have a success story of your own? Employ Milwaukee would love to hear it!

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES

Hiring Events

Employ Milwaukee's Business Solutions Team regularly hosts Hiring Events in a variety of industries to connect job seekers to employers with quality jobs. Hiring Events include on-the-spot interviews to ensure immediate impact! All events will be held at Employ Milwaukee offices, 2342 N. 27th St. Milwaukee, WI 53210. Register below!

• Manufacturing Hiring Event: Thursday, December 7th 3-5 PM
• How to Get a Job in Construction: Tuesday, December 12th 3-5 PM
• Healthcare Hiring Event: Monday, December 18th 3-5 PM

BankWork$

BankWork$ opens a door for young adults and adults from low income and minority communities to help them find and succeed in well-paying jobs that can lead to a lasting career. Students are often those who otherwise would not be considered a qualified candidate for positions in banking/financial services. Participants in the BankWork$ program must be 18 years or older, have a high school diploma or GED, have basic computer skills, and previous cash handling and customer service experience. Employ Milwaukee assesses individuals prior to enrollment to ensure eligibility requirements are met. BankWork$ classes are provided at no cost to the participants. The next cohort begins January 16th. Register Now!

Milwaukee Water Works Community Project

Interested in a starting your career in an essential municipal service field? The Milwaukee Water Works Community projects has four training tracks to train workers for stable, well-paying jobs.

Cream City YouthBuild

Are you interested in learning construction and leadership skills while accessing well-paying employment? Are you a high school drop-out who wants to get your HSED/GED? If so, Cream City YouthBuild may be for you! Cream City YouthBuild prepares young adults for careers and employment in the construction industry through a focus on attaining a high school diploma and construction skills while receiving exposure and access to employment in the construction trades.

Job Seeker Newsletter

Subscribe to our Job Seeker Newsletter to receive weekly updates about job opportunities, open positions, hiring events and skills training programs right to your inbox! Sign up today.

HIRING CORNER

Looking for a career in workforce development? Come join us at Employ Milwaukee! We are currently on the lookout for ‘go-getter’ talent to join our A-Team at the agency in the following areas:

• Program Specialist
• Workforce Specialist
• Instructor - Clinical Medical Assistant

For more information about

Employ Milwaukee’s programs

and services, please visit: www.employmilwaukee.org

or call (414) 270-1700.

Employ Milwaukee is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Service Provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to

individuals with disabilities or language needs.