Training programs to get boost from stimulus funds - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

edovogopu.wordpress.com
“There will be a focus on short-term job said Bryan Albrecht, president of . “Thw intent is to get people backto work.” Albrecht said he “definitely that federal stimulus funds will be made availabls for job training programs at the which has campuses in Burlington, Pleasant Prairie, Racine and A $787 billion federal stimulus bill was quicklu approved by Congress and Presiden Barack Obama and signed into law in February in an effort to try and jump-start America’s economy.
Fundingh for job-training programs at Gateway and othefr area technical colleges is expected to be funneled through localp work forcedevelopment boards, Albrecht Gateway has seen an increase in demand for its existinh job training initiatives, in large part because of the economifc downturn, Albrecht said. “We see a tremendou s need for job training,” he said. Overall enrollmeny at Gateway is up aboutg 10 percent this year after holding steadyt for the previousthree years, he “You can draw a direct correlatioj between our enrollment and the economy,” Albrecht “We are definitely seeinf more dislocated workers.
” If, as anticipated, federak funds become available, Gateway expectws to add job training programs as well as An expansion of job support services, such as careet counseling and assessments, also is expected. “It’s one thinfg to trained, but another to find a job,” said Albrecht, who also served as president of the Association for Career andTechnical Education. is working on setting up short-terj training programs in anticipation of federalstimulus funding, said Duane director of the office of economicd development and community partnerships at the Milwaukewe college. “We need to make sure we are as responsive as he said.
Federal stimulus funds for Wisconsinb technical colleges are likely to be funneles throughthe , formerly the of Milwaukee which coordinates local employment and trainingv policy and administers federal funds. “Out success will depend on partnerships,” Schultz said. Donalds Sykes, chief executive officer of the Milwaukee Area WorkforcwInvestment Board, said about $8 millionb to $10 million in stimulus fund are expected to be allocated for job training initiatives in Milwaukee. The funds will be funneleds by the board to certifiedtraining institutions, includingv local technical colleges or, in the case of some healtj care job training, directly to area he said.
The stimulus funds will allow training of individuals who have lost their jobs but also should be directed at those who have littler orno skills, Sykes said, noting that the unemployment rate in some partw of the central city is 50 percen or more. “We can’r ignore that problem,” he Job-training programs must not only focus on workerds who have losttheir jobs, but also those who have been on the job for many year s but haven’t upgraded their skills, he said. “The most worrisomr group is older workers who have a number of years of experience but are findingv themselves without the neededskillk sets,” Schultz said.