Workforce Today: Winter 2019
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Greetings from our CEO! Big things are happening...
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Winter is here! There is no doubt about it after last week’s storms that went through northern Wisconsin. It’s hard to believe that we are fast approaching a new year!
With that said, the board and staff of the Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board are excited to see what 2020 will bring. We are finalizing our 2020 – 2024 Strategic Plan and are looking forward to its new initiatives. We encourage you to review our
draft plan narrative and
map and we welcome your feedback as we get ready to approve this plan at our upcoming board meeting.
In March, the NWWIB adopted a Family Centered Employment approach to focus on engaging families in their efforts around training and employment success. Our new strategic plan was created with this approach interwoven throughout our strategic objectives. Recognizing the importance of this work, the NWWIB is increasing our staff by bringing on a
Family Centered Employment & Consumer Services Coordinator. We are accepting applications for this position and are looking forward to adding a new member to our team!
This issue of Workforce Today highlights the work that has been done over the past quarter. A huge milestone of this quarter is the opening of the
EverGrow Learning Center. The Center opened on November 18th. If you live in the Chequamegon Bay and are in need of childcare, the EverGrow Learning Center is still accepting new enrollments. Families interested in learning more can contact
Carol Beirl, Center Director & Administrator. We were honored to have Governor Tony Evers and other dignitaries tour the center and learn about the grass roots, community driven approach that leaders of this project took to make it a reality.
In addition to our recent accomplishments, we have been reflecting on the past year. We encourage you to review our
2019 Annual Report. As you will be able to tell, we had some fun with the design and concept of this particular Annual Report. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating it!
If you love the content you are reading, we invite you to listen to our podcast
Workforce Waves. Subscribe today so you don’t miss out on our exciting upcoming episodes featuring topics such as the Talent Forecast initiative,
what others?
Warm Regards,
Mari Kay-Nabozny
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Spring 2020: Life & Poverty Simulation Scheduled
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We have decided to reschedule the December
Life & Poverty Simulation. We have rescheduled it for April 3rd, 2020. Business leaders, employers, stakeholders, civic leaders, and decision makers in the Greater Chequamegon Bay are urged to attend an important poverty simulation exercise this spring in Ashland, Wisconsin.
Attendees will participate in the Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) household poverty simulation exercise. The role-playing simulation educates and informs participants to the realities of life faced by hard working people in northern Wisconsin.
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National Association of Workforce Boards presents at the Regional Economic Indicators Forum
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Ron Painter, President & CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards, presented at the most recent
Regional Economic Indicators Forum (REIF). The REIF is sponsored by the National Bank of Commerce and focuses on the current economic performance of a 15-county region that includes Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. As part of this forum, the College of St. Scholastica (CSS), University of Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) and University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) collect and monitor data related to county-level economic performance, business and consumer confidence, and regional stock performance. Ron Painter presented on
Workforce Ahead: Putting Business and Industry in the Driver’s Seat.
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Apply today to join our team!
Are you ready to make your community a better place? Have you been yearning for a job where you get to be passionate, creative, self-directed and make an impact? The NWWIB is happy to announce we our expand our team by bringing on a
Family Centered Employment and Consumer Services Coordinator
! This position will grow our Family Centered Employment initiatives. The NWWIB is one of twelve workforce boards in the nation participating in a Family Centered Employment initiative focused on advancing new pathways to employment for parents and families with children while providing linkages between early childhood development and employment, leading to economic advancement.
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The NWWIB is conducting a survey with employers about their awareness of opioids-related issues and the impact of opioids on their organizations. We hope to build a robust picture of how employers are impacted by the opioid epidemic so regional organizations can provide the proper support and resources.
Please take this 30-second survey and help us out!
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A Local Solution to the Childcare Crisis
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In Wisconsin, 54% of people live in a childcare desert and the lack of available quality childcare slots is an issue for families with children
and those who are expecting. If childcare cannot be obtained, this limits the available labor pool. Creative solutions are necessary in rural areas to address the child care crisis. In Ashland, WI, the NWWIB and several partners recently launched the EverGrow Learning Center.
We are thrilled to announce that the
EverGrow Learning Center
is officially open! The ribbon cutting (pictured above) was hosted this fall with several business and community members in attendance. This brand new, non-profit childcare center will serve 94 children and will have an emphasis on assisting low to moderate income families through the Wisconsin Shares Subsidy program. This endeavor has received state and national recognition, and NWWIB continues to work with communities to replicate it. Governor Tony Evers, Department of Children and Families Secretary Emilie Amundson, and Representative Beth Meyers toured the facility last month (pictured below).
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Workforce Waves
is the monthly podcast by the NWWIB. Epidsode #17 just dropped!
Generations in the Workplace
Brad Gingras from Superior Strategies joins the program to discuss the different generations, particularly the emerging workforce, and their differing perspectives and expectations at work. Discover some of the strengths and challenges that varying generations bring to the workplace, and how to create a workplace that is adaptable and meets the needs of all employees.
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This year we created a new plan for a new economy. Currently, the NWWIB is finalizing our 2020 - 2024 Strategic Plan. We recognize a skilled and ready workforce is critical to maintaining vibrant communities in northwest Wisconsin. Access to employment with adequate pay is critical for families’ stability and livelihood as is quality child care for children while parents work. Technology is ever-changing and our new direction needs to embrace the shifts in workplace culture and employee needs. The next four years of work will focus on five strategic objectives:
- Establish a customer-centric system that promotes collaboration, access, and measureable outcomes
- All targeted sectors have a robust and demand-driven action plan. Increase overall services to the businesses in the region
- Incorporate technology and applied technological solutions to increase collaboration and innovation as well as the development of entrepreneurs
- Develop messaging and strategic partnerships to advance the initiatives and priorities of the NWWIB
- Build capacity to support implementation of the board’s priorities and while implementing continuous improvement strategies
A draft of our 2020 - 2024 Strategic Plan
narrative and
map are now available. We welcome any feedback from our regional partners and community members. Please feel free to share thoughts or ideas with us! Please send feedback to
Mari Kay-Nabozny, NWWIB Chief Executive Officer.
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Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. If you have a disability and need assistance with this information, please call us through Wisconsin Relay Service (7-1-1) or at 800-947-3529. To request information in an alternate format, including language assistance or translation of the information, please contact us at (715)-682-7235.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Program
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