Career EXCELerate Wisconsin celebrated more than 30 students who earned educational certificates through a collaborative new program May 19.
Operated in partnership with Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin, Fox Valley Technical College and Rawhide Youth Services, the program began in summer 2022 with support from a Workforce Innovation Grant from the state of Wisconsin.
“Career EXCELerate… leverages the expertise of our three partnering organizations for individuals who have goals to build their skills and jumpstart or grow in their careers,” Chris Hess President and CEO at Goodwill NCW said. “Our combined expertise means we built a program to serve the whole person.”
Career EXCELerate is a comprehensive career-training program offered at no cost to individuals who would benefit from individualized support to advance in their profession, enter a career or return to the workforce. The main purpose of the program is to support individuals as they seek high-demand careers in specific areas of study and create a pipeline of job seekers who have the credentials to fill roles in Wisconsin.
“Fox Valley Technical College is proud to be part of this groundbreaking collaboration with two premier community partners,” said Dr. Chris Matheny, president of Fox Valley Technical College. “It is especially gratifying that this program benefits individuals who might otherwise be neglected or underserved in the traditional workforce. Local employers will also benefit from this program, knowing they are hiring individuals who have been equipped with the essential technical and personal responsibility skills necessary to be valuable contributors in their workplace.”
The program focuses on providing tracks that have future career development options. Students in the spring 2023 cohort completed certificates in nursing assistant, early childhood teacher aide, professional truck driving, welding fundamentals and woodworking technician.
“From the beginning, we knew Career EXCELerate had the potential to change hundreds of lives in our community,” said Alan Loux, President and CEO at Rawhide Youth Services.
Korie Hansen, a student in the first cohort, completed her early childhood teacher aide certificate to launch her career.
“It has given me the confidence to know that I can go back to school and do well. It’s given me a refresher on a lot of vital skills. Confidence is a big one, just knowing that I’ve got the support has been amazing,” Hansen said.
The program is enrolling students on an ongoing basis for all career educational certificate programs. Educational tracks offered by Career EXCELerate include:
- Nursing Assistant
- Early Childhood Teacher Aide
- Woodworking Technician
- Pipe Trades
- Welding Fundamentals
- Industrial Manufacturing Technician
- Professional Truck Driving – Class A and B CDLs
- Heavy-Duty Vehicle Maintenance – Diesel Technology Assistant
Those interested in earning a certificate through Career EXCELerate can complete the online application form at CareerEXCELerateWI.org. For local employers: Employers can partner with Career EXCELerate to recruit qualified candidates. Contact careerexceleratewi@goodwillncw.org to learn more.
