HOW WE SERVE WISCONSIN’S WORKFORCE
Courage, Innovation, Equity
WRTP | BIG STEP provides programs and career services with special emphasis on apprenticeship readiness training and tutoring to prepare participants for the necessary apprenticeship qualifying tests they’ll face in the skilled trades. Our mission is to enhance the ability of the industry to recruit and develop a diverse, qualified workforce in the construction, manufacturing, and emerging sectors of the regional economy and to make sure everyone has a pathway to a family-supporting career.
Training
Construction Training
Our entry-level pre-apprenticeship construction skills training class provides construction career exploration/education and hands-on experiences to learners interested in beginning a career in the construction and skilled trades. Using a cohort-based approach, experiential training, and coaching, students will learn what it takes to gain and maintain a career in the construction trades from industry professionals. A state-approved Certified Pre-Apprenticeship, our ELCS gives you a competitive leg up when being selected for a Registered Apprenticeship in more than 15 different skilled trades. Completers gain a valuable industry-recognized credential, are assessed for qualifying community certificates, receive union trades readiness assistance, and are supported in finding employment in the industry. ELCS traditionally uses the baseline of the North American Building Trades nationally-recognized Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) and then lays on customized learning or experiences to fit the needs of hiring employers.
Our roadbuilding construction class is a nationally accredited training approved by the State of Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards as a Certified Pre-Apprenticeship program. In partnership with employers and local unions, participants gain hands-on experience and valuable industry certificates that qualify them for immediate employment consideration by high road employers. Successful completion of this training advances each graduate along their Registered Apprenticeship journey. Supported and funded by the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation, you will be part of an intentional effort by the state and contractors to have a qualified talent pipeline for both large and small scale publicly funded projects, but your skills and credentials are transferable to any number of construction site opportunities. Completers will have WRTP’s assistance in finding placement in the industry and receive preferential consideration from some of the largest road-building contractors in the state.
This short-term training allows individuals to earn their HSED while simultaneously completing The North American Building Trades nationally-recognized Multi Craft Core Curriculum, a Certified Pre-Apprenticeship that can advance you along more than 15 skilled trades Register Apprenticeship pathways. Earning one’s HSED is a required first step in apprenticeship, and our MC3/ HSED, facilitated in partnership with Literacy Services of Wisconsin, creates a learning experience that tailors your schooling to what you will need to know for entering the industry. By framing your learning to industry terms and concepts, you’ll graduate confidently, ready to move directly into a skilled trades Registered Apprenticeship with your HSED in hand.
The Entry Level Construction Skills + CDL program allows interested students to participate in a rigorous, hands-on curriculum and earn industry-recognized credentials that prepare them for careers as Registered Apprentices in the skilled trades. ELCS + CDL is designed so that those who successfully complete the training graduate with a pre-apprenticeship and a CDL, making the candidate a desirable choice for construction and transportation logistics employers.
This entry-level, pre-apprenticeship construction skills training class provides construction career exploration/education and hands-on experiences to learners interested in beginning a career in the water and sewer industry skilled trades. Using a cohort-based approach, experiential training, and coaching, students will learn what it takes to gain and maintain a career in the construction trades from industry professionals.
In partnership with Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), this incentivized program focuses on the water and sewer sector, preparing participants for apprenticeships in the trades with steamfitters, electricians, plumbers, sheet metal, ironworkers, and more. Completers gain a valuable industry-recognized credential, are assessed for qualifying community certificates, receive union trades readiness assistance, and are supported in finding employment in the industry.
MANUFACTURING TRAINING
*Certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program
Youth Services
Our Summer Trades Academy program provides an immersive and informative experience for high school juniors and seniors in Southeast Wisconsin and sheds light on the trade and apprenticeship process. Through hands-on activities, visits to training centers, and conversations with experienced journeypersons, students gain valuable knowledge and insights into pursuing successful careers in the trades through apprenticeships.
Throughout the program, participants develop essential employability skills, such as teamwork, communication, time management, and problem-solving. These skills are critical for success in the construction industry and are emphasized and practiced during the work experience activities. At the end of the program, students will be equipped with the tools and motivation to build their futures in the construction industry!
The BIG STEP Builders program provides high school students the opportunity to build basic construction skills and explore the industry through hands-on experience, presentations from union members, application assistance, and more.
BIG STEP Builders takes place on weekends to work around students’ busy schedules—the only requirements are an interest in union construction apprenticeship and a commitment to attend four Saturday sessions.
Community Certifications
The City of Milwaukee helps underemployed and unemployed residents gain access to employment opportunities through its Residents Preference Program (RPP). If you’re a resident of the City of Milwaukee and are looking for a new and rewarding career, you may be eligible for this program—and WRTP can help! Please see the materials below and visit the City of Milwaukee website for more information. Ready to begin your journey? Get in touch with us today!
Coming soon!
The City of Racine’s Racine Works Program (RWP) certifies local underemployed residents in the trades to connect them to job opportunities on City construction and water utility projects.
WRTP | BIG STEP no longer provides RWP certification. Please contact the City of Racine at (262) 636-9366 or purchasing@cityofracine.org.
Apprenticeship Readiness
Coming soon!
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Industry & Organization News
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