The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trade Employment Program (WRTP | BIG STEP) has hired Laura Bell to lead the statewide expansion of the nonprofit’s certified pre-apprenticeship programming. Bell brings more than 12 years of experience in project management and, as an inside journeyman wireman, a deep knowledge of the
As originally published in BizTimes Jeannie Lauret is head of Menomonee Falls-based custom fabricator company Duwe Metal Products. She has served on the board of Milwaukee-based nonprofit WRTP | BIG STEP for five years and currently is the board treasurer. “Duwe Metal Products is engrained in Milwaukee’s subcontractor culture, thanks to Lauret’s leadership,” said Lindsay
As originally published in BizTimes Henry Hurt, founder and president of Wauwatosa-based Hurt Electric Inc., has been on the WRTP | BIG STEP board for 27 years and currently serves as co-chair. “As a 1978 graduate of BIG STEP’s certified pre-apprenticeship training, Hurt brings an incredible understanding of the nonprofit’s programming and the apprenticeship
As originally written by Marquette Today. Dr. Yong Bai, McShane Chair and Professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering in the Opus College of Engineering, has received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for research and curriculum development of infrastructure construction and engineering. The goal of the Training
As Wisconsin’s skilled trades workforce faces a labor shortage, the number of Registered Apprentices has reached a record high. This is thanks, in part, to WRTP | BIG STEP attracting new talent to the skilled trades and offering accessible training opportunities. With a $10 million grant from Ascendium Education Group, great things are on
“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
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
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
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
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
