Chippewa Valley Technical College & Their Workforce Partners Have Received the Top Talent Initiative Award

Chippewa Valley Technical College, along with their Workforce Innovation Grant partners, received the 2021 Top Talent Initiative Award at Momentum West’s award ceremony in March. “We are delighted to have received this award and want to recognize the sub-recipients of the grant: CVTC, Northwood Technical College, Workforce Resource, Inc., Bloomer School District, Osseo-Fairchild School District, St. Croix Central School District, and PMI,” said Joni Geroux, Executive Director of Strategic Communications & Community Engagement for Chippewa Valley Technical College. “Workforce development is at the forefront of our mission and at the core of everything we do and our partnerships are key to our success.”

“Our goal is to provide programming and training to support individuals and employers wherever they are at in their career pathway or lifelong learning journey is the vehicle utilized to serve this need.  Collaboration with employers, education partners, and service providers contributes to the quality and relevancy of academic programs and training. Delivering education and training to meet the needs of the region is achieved through connectivity and continued conversation with employers and sector experts.  It is also essential to provide flexible delivery options to meet the needs of learners.”

Chippewa Valley Technical College is furthering their mission with help from the Workforce Innovation Grant. Their work through this grant has been focused around the RESTORE (Restore Employment through Support, Training, Outreach, Recruitment, and Education) project. Through RESTORE they are implementing plans to address the critical workforce shortage in the manufacturing industry within the Momentum region, particularly in rural areas. “Employers are struggling to hire qualified workers into key metal fabrication careers across the manufacturing sector. While these jobs are high-paying and in-demand, workers lack the necessary training and skills required to be hired and succeed in long-term employment opportunities.  Our approach will support skills development for various demographics, ages, and stages of a career path and educational journey,” said Geroux. 

“Through a collaboration of secondary and postsecondary educators, workforce systems, and manufacturing employers, RESTORE will incorporate strategies to create and facilitate career pathways in metal fabrication for underserved populations throughout rural northwestern Wisconsin. The project’s primary goal is to address the region’s manufacturing workforce shortage through a combination of outreach to underserved populations, targeted and short-term training connected to educational pathways, and contextualized and work-based learning,” she said.

When asked why it’s important for leaders and organizations to focus on workforce development, Joni Geroux said, “CVTC and our partners are collectively committed to a focus on workforce development. It is critical to the livelihood of our communities and individual quality of life.  The importance of workforce development cannot be understated and is so important for economic and personal growth.” Collaboration is key to a successful workforce development plan, as is the use of technology when and where appropriate. “With limited human resources and employers struggling to fill open positions, creative, collaborative efforts, and training to support technology advancements are critical,” she said. 

Ultimately, results are what matters - both for individual workers and for the businesses looking to hire them. “We are committed to making a real impact. The passion for building opportunities to build or enhance skillsets for individuals to support the economic health of our communities is undeniable when collaborative efforts like these come together,” said Geroux. 

Visit http://www.cvtc.edu to learn more about their workforce programs and the impact being made at the local level.