Our success would not be possible without the support of our staff and board members.

WRTP | BIG STEP is industry-led, worker-centered and community-focused. Our mission is to enhance the ability of private sector organizations to recruit and develop a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing and emerging sectors of the regional economy.

  • MIKE FABISHAK – CO-CHAIR
    Chief Executive Officer
    Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee

    ANTHONY RAINEY – CO-CHAIR
    United Autoworkers, Region 4
    International Representative

    ROSS WINKLBAUER – TREASURER
    United Steelworkers, District 2
    Sub-District Director

    Directors
    SCOTT BARTZ
    Vice President/Business Representation – Madison/Janesville
    SMART, Local 18

    STEVE BREITLOW
    Business Manager
    Plumbers, Local 75

    DAN BUKIEWICZ
    President
    Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council

    MIKE FOLLETT
    Business Manager
    IBEW, Local 2150

    DEXTRA HADNOT
    Director of External Affairs
    AT&T Wisconsin

    STEPHANIE BLOOMINGDALE
    Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
    President

    JONATHAN KOWALSKI
    Plumbing and Sheet Metal Contractor’s Alliance
    Executive Director

  • ALEX HOEKSTRA
    Directing Business Representative
    IAMAW, District 10

    HENRY HURT
    Owner
    Hurt Electric, Inc.

    KEN KRAEMER
    Executive Director
    Building Advantage

    LOU ANN KOVAL
    Vice President of Human Resources and General Counsel
    Hayes Performance Systems

    KYLE JOHANSEN
    Director of Labor and Employee Relations
    Harley-Davidson Motor Company

    BRIAN MITCHELL
    Sub-District Director
    Choice Construction Companies, Inc.

    TONY NEIRA
    Business Manager
    Laborers International Union of North America – Local 113

    ROBERT RAYBURN
    National Electrical Contractors Association – Milwaukee Chapter
    Executive Vice President

    LAURI ROLLINGS
    Executive Director
    PMSMCA

    PAT STIFF
    Vice President
    WE Energies

WRTP | BIG STEP

WHO WE ARE

WRTP | BIG STEP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce intermediary dedicated to connecting people to family-sustaining jobs.

WRTP MISSION

Our mission is to enhance the ability of public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing and emerging sectors of the regional economy.

WRTP HISTORY

WRTP was initially created to renew our traditional industrial base in the Milwaukee area during the 1990s. The recovery of manufacturing, retirement of an aging workforce, and diversification of the regional economy created a growing skills shortage by the end of the decade. In response to this threat to economic growth and prosperity, we created our successful model of pre-employment training for job seekers to qualify for family-sustaining jobs in the industrial sector.

WHY WE SUCCEED

Supported by public, private, and philanthropic investments, WRTP | BIG STEP’s mission is to assist economically disadvantaged minorities, women, and youth (primarily from the central-city) develop the skills needed to participate meaningfully in the workforce and share in the area economy while ensuring that member companies have the skilled workers needed to prosper and grow in a competitive global economy.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

  • 3841 W. Wisconsin Ave
    Milwaukee, WI 53208

  • (414) 342-9787

  • milwaukee@wrtp.org

  • Mon – Fri . 9:00 – 5:00

SOUTH EASTERN, WISCONSIN

  • 1001 S Main Street Room T-217
    Racine, WI 53403

  • (262) 619-6560

  • southeastern@wrtp.org

  • Mon – Fri . 9:00 – 5:00

SOUTH CENTRAL, WISCONSIN

  • 1602 S Park Street
    Madison, WI 53715

  • (608) 255-0155

  • southcentral@wrtp.org

  • Mon – Fri . 9:00 –  5:00

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

  • 175 Aurora Ave
    St. Paul, MN 55016

  • (651) 335-2896

  • minnesota@wrtp.org

  • Mon – Fri . 9:00 – 5:00