Tatyana Klahn heard about WRTP | BIG STEP from her brother, who came to us for career services, but she blazed a path all her own as a 2024 Madison Summer Trades Academy and Entry-Level Construction Skills graduate. Prior to starting the Summer Trades Academy, Tatyana had no experience with the trades. “I had… Continue Reading WRTP | BIG STEP Success Series: Tatyana Klahn
Brandon with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Obtaining certified pre-apprenticeship credentials “catapulted me into my future,” says Brandon Ericson, a 2024 graduate of WRTP | BIG STEP’s Certified Production Technician and High School Equivalency Diploma (CPT HSED) training. During the 16-week program, participants simultaneously earned certifications in two Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC)… Continue Reading WRTP | BIG STEP Success Series: Brandon Ericson
“WRTP | BIG STEP impacted my life in a big way,” says Jake Ondike, a veteran who launched his post-military career with the help of WRTP | BIG STEP’s Racine staff. “It’s the start of my new career that I’m going to be doing for the next 20 or so years.” In 2024, Jake… Continue Reading WRTP | BIG STEP Success Series: Jake Ondike
“Strategic doing” is WRTP | BIG STEP’s critical way of engaging with projects, programs, and goals. This strategic doing propelled us to start and end 2024 in the national spotlight. In January, the former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen toured our Milwaukee office and presented $1.5 million in federal funds to modernize our… Continue Reading 2024 Impact Report: A Year of ‘Strategic Doing’
WRTP | BIG STEP is proud to announce it has been selected to join the 2025 Youth Skills and Employment Accelerator, the largest national network of youth-serving nonprofits focused on improving young people’s employment prospects. As part of the year-long program, WRTP | BIG STEP will receive funding, training, and networking opportunities to expand… Continue Reading Nonprofit Selected for Prestigious 2025 Accelerator for Organizations Supporting Youth Skills
As originally published in Current’s ReNEWsletter. Water has always been a precious resource. Today, it’s also a promising career opportunity. That’s because there is a growing demand for skilled water workers to ensure our access to clean drinking water and safe wastewater management for public health. But a massive wave of retirements looms. According to US… Continue Reading The Next Wave: Building Tomorrow’s Water Workforce
MILWAUKEE, WI (March 18, 2025) - Milwaukee-based WRTP | BIG STEP has been awarded funding from Madison-based Ascendium Education Group to lead the newly formed Apprenticeship Pathway Coalition Initiative (APCI). Ascendium has granted WRTP | BIG STEP up to $10,000,000 over the next five years to develop Wisconsin's future apprenticeship-focused workforce. These funds are designated… Continue Reading WRTP | BIG STEP Selected by Ascendium Education Group To Lead Apprenticeship Pathway Coalition Initiative
As first published by Omar Waheed on Madison 365. The Latino Academy of Workforce Development has teamed up with the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and WRTP | BIG STEP to host a construction career fair on March 7. The career fair aims to bring 20 employers in construction to connect with… Continue Reading Latino Academy, BGC to Host Construction Career Fair
As originally published on The Daily Reporter by Ethan Duran. Wisconsin has announced it broke the record for the most registered apprentices in its program this year. Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development on Monday reported there were 17,089 individuals enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which provides training for… Continue Reading Wisconsin Breaks Apprenticeship Record for a Third Time
As first published by Tom Jenz for The Shepherd Express.Milwaukee was once a premiere example of American manufacturing, urban areas dominated by productive factories that shaped the city’s identity and economy. From the mid-19th century through much of the 20th century, Milwaukee was a hub of industry, renowned for its breweries, machine shops, and later, its… Continue Reading Milwaukee Construction Trades on the Rise: For better pay, more people are choosing a career in the trades
