Guest Column by Secretary Ray Allen, Department of Workforce Development
Ray Allen
As a Milwaukee native who takes great pride in Milwaukee’s sense of value, friendship and commitment to community, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will bring Job Center Services to specific Milwaukee neighborhoods through Job Center Access Points. The first event will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13 at Employ Milwaukee, located at 2338 North 27th St. If you happen to have a resume on paper or a flash drive, please feel free to bring it along with you to the event.
As the appointed Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), I have the opportunity to build awareness of the resources available to help build Milwaukee’s workforce. Building on the millions of dollars invested through the Transform Milwaukee Initiative, Governor Walker recently announced an additional $4.5 million investment in Milwaukee, with much of the funding being used to increase awareness of DWD programs and services and developing Milwaukee’s workforce and communities.
The DWD has had a strong presence in the City of Milwaukee through our neighborhood job centers and partner locations which serve thousands of people each year.
This new initiative mobilizes those services in an effort to bring them to local communities through Job Center Access Points. These access points will be staffed with skilled employment and training specialists who will assist with registering on the Job Center of Wisconsin website, provide job skill assessments and tips for writing resumes and how to prepare for a job interview.
After the initial registration and assessment, individuals will be referred to available services and partner agencies that can assist with job training or additional placement needs.
DWD assists thousands of job seekers every year in finding gainful employment and available job training, regardless of employment barriers or level of work experience. DWD and our staff will provide the means for all attendees to locate gainful employment opportunities or training that leads to gainful employment, but it is up to the job seeker to act on what is learned at the Job Center Access Point event, take full advantage of the services offered and pursue the good-paying job opportunities that Milwaukee employers have available.
Bringing Job Center Access Point services to specific neighborhoods is a key next step to strengthen Milwaukee, develop the city’s workforce, and build a strong talent pool for Milwaukee employers.
