BIG STEP, which was created in the 1970s, merged with the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) after it was created in the 1990s. Today the merged entity works on the ground to help create and sustain pathways to family-supporting careers such as manufacturing.
“We really pride ourselves on a sectoral partnership model, meaning that we work on collaboration, we work on coalition-building, and then we work on training,” Blumer tells the co-hosts on today’s podcast. “It’s industry-led; it’s employer driven; we really focus on in-demand skills, which we know are always changing and always really improving. So our trainings are just as flexible to make sure we’re meeting the demands of employers.”
Blumer says the organization trains on “the hard and soft skills needed on day one,” and its program also offers extensive training on both digital and financial literacy, which are sometimes barriers to employment. Other employment barriers include child care, housing and transportation, which WRTP | BIG STEP helps address through collaborations, as well as sometimes overlooked issues as simple as industry lingo and familiarity.
Listen to all of Blumer’s workforce insights by downloading the full episode on Spreaker or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Blumer says she is excited to work more closely with Northeast Wisconsin organizations and manufacturers as it pursues statewide expansion of its through a partnership with Ascendium Education Group.
NEW Manufacturing Insights is produced by Woodward Community Media; new episodes are released on Thursdays.
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