Jessica Lazo Figueroa, 17 years old and a senior at Madison East High School, is a Youth Apprentice through the Madison Metropolitan School District. Growing up, she always wanted a career in construction, but did not have much knowledge about it or know where to begin. She heard about WRTP | BIG STEP through
José Garcia is a union journey worker carpenter and the father of nine children. His journey to and through the skilled trades held many challenges, but it ultimately fulfilled his dreams. When José first learned of WRTP | BIG STEP, he had recently returned from incarceration and was struggling to find a job due
My name is Justin Hirsch. I’m 31 years old and a father of three beautiful children. I enjoy spending time with family, fishing, boating, and camping. In my early teenage years, I struggled on and off with drug addiction; this led to me being a felon in my early twenties, which made it hard
Gabriel Gniot graduated from WRTP | BIG STEP’s Entry Level Construction Skills (ELCS) program in 2022 and is currently a carpenter apprentice with Selzer-Ornst. From a young age, he always had a passion for working with his hands and creating things. Initially, he had aspirations of becoming a civil engineer, but later discovered
As first published by Molly Snyder, OnMilwaukee.com. Milwaukee is revered as a “working class” city and a local, not-for-profit organization called WRTP | BIG STEP strives to ensure it remains that way. WRTP | BIG STEP is a Wisconsin-based training partnership and skilled trades employment program. The group’s mission is to – pun intended –
The First Step to a Career in the Skilled Trades Learn About: Occupations and career pathways within the construction skilled trades Our service offerings, including: one on one tutoring to assist with apprenticeship tests, industry interview prep, and industry recognized credential pre apprenticeship trainings
WRTP | BIG STEP Hosts Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh in Milwaukee Stop of American Job Plan Tour
As posted in Milwaukee Courier The nation’s economy took a hit when the pandemic began, and Milwaukee was no exception. The federal government is hopeful that the American Rescue Plan Act will help give cities the boost they need to get their economies rolling. Mayor Tom Barrett is submitting a proposal to the Common
Menomonee Valley Partners and WRTP/BIG STEP joined a new coalition that launched on June 24 by The Century Foundation (TCF), the Urban Manufacturing Alliance (UMA), and seven other urban workforce development organizations to develop training programs that forge a more racially inclusive future for manufacturing. Concentrated in the Midwest, the partnership plans to strategize
Originally written by Natasha Espada and published by Architect Magazine on November 19, 2020. In this article author Natasha Espada discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion within the architecture profession by recounting her personal experience and challenges as she sought entry into the field. The article focuses on the difficulties some experience as they
