6 minute read
Collaborative Partnership Connects Employers to Future Workforce
Written By: Eric Vanden Heuvel, Vice President of Talent and Education, Greater Green Bay Chamber
As the labor shortage continues to squeeze area employers, everyone is looking for solutions to recruit and retain the people they need to meet organizational goals. While the tendency is to look for short-term solutions, it is prudent to have a strategy to cultivate future talent, which can start as early as middle and high school. A new partnership between the Greater Green Bay Chamber, CESA 7 and the Ahnapee Youth Apprenticeship Consortium is creating a regional solution to connect employers with thousands of students who want to work as a part of their high school experience.
The Northeastern Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship consortium (NEWYA) combines the strengths of three organizations to create a streamlined process for students to connect with employers and gain valuable workforce experience as a youth apprentice.
“A school district’s mission is its promise to students, and districts have an opportunity to work in tandem with business and community partners to put the truth in advertising that “all means all” as they take Youth Apprenticeship implementation to the next level,” says Colleen Timm, Learning Services Director for CESA 7. “NEWYA will ensure a clear pathway for measurable gains in student achievement, a diploma by design for all students, and a strengthened community. With the current opportunities available within the workforce, the time is now for all of us to come together to ensure that the students of today become tomorrow’s innovative leaders.” The Youth Apprenticeship program, funded by a state grant from the Department of Workforce Development and private investments, has transformed the Luxemburg-Casco school district and the Ahnapee consortium in three short years. Under the leadership of Mike Snowberry and Jen Johnson, the program saw 600% growth in its work-based learning opportunities for students, aided by more than 500 business partnerships.
“The Youth Apprenticeship Program is a game changer for high school students, as the experience creates maturity and develops a sense of purpose for their future,” Snowberry said.
To participate as a YA employer, businesses need to offer paid work experience for a high school junior or senior and provide a mentor to the student while they are on the job. The benefits include a young, eager learner who is excited to gain hands-on learning in an industry that they are interested in exploring. In addition, the student is required to participate in related coursework, either at their high school or technical college.
The Greater Green Bay Chamber is excited to collaborate with these great organizations to provide another talent solution to their member businesses.
“We are committed to solving the talent crisis that is prevalent across our community, state, and country,” added Eric Vanden Heuvel, Vice President of Talent and Education with the Chamber. “Helping businesses connect with students through the youth apprenticeship program is a win-win solution, as many YA students transition to full time employees. This is a critical strategy to retain talented students produced by our local schools.”
We are committed to solving the talent crisis that is prevalent across our community, state, and country. -Eric Vanden Heuvel, Greater Green Bay Chamber
Helping Area Young Professionals Connect and Grow
Written By: Christine Gunderson, Current Young Professionals Program Manager, Greater Green Bay Chamber
Current Young Professionals (CYP), a program of the Greater Green Bay Chamber, is a network of over 1,200 young professionals throughout Greater Green Bay. CYP is geared towards those individuals ages 21-40 years old but remains open to community professionals of all ages. The program utilizes a variety of events to gather young professionals at locations throughout the community. All events focus on three core areas that are linked to talent retention: personal, professional and community connection.
CYP Events
Through events like After 5s and CYP Plays, young professionals are offered fun venues to network with each other. Whether at the YMCA playing a pick-up game of volleyball or at Captain’s Walk Winery learning about Greater Green Bay history, events inspire enjoyable low-stakes avenues for building connections with other people. If your employees have relocated to the area or are transplants from another area, these events may play an instrumental role in helping include personal connection into the professional world.
Other events such as Dine N’ Develop, CYP Serves or Coffee & Convos focus more deeply on the community and professional connections. Whether you are a young professional looking for career growth, a voice in the governance of the community, or enjoying volunteering, CYP offers many options to fulfill the need for further involvement.
Growing Greater Green Bay
Convening young professionals together is a vital part of the ongoing growth of Greater Green Bay. It creates opportunities for collaboration across business sectors, offers professional development opportunities, and fosters a safe community of fellow professionals to use as sounding boards. Through connection with each other, young professionals are enabled to contribute back to the community while also identifying and supporting what drives them both personally and professionally.
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Written By: Ashley Skoczynski, Leadership and Career Development Manager, Greater Green Bay Chamber
An integral part of a thriving community is the individual contributions of the talented people who live there. Unlike any other professional development program in the region, Leadership Green Bay equips emerging and existing leaders with experiences, tools, and relationships to reach their highest leadership potential.
The program was started in 1985 by 12 dedicated individuals who wanted to ensure that their spirit of service and leadership would continue for years to come. Since then, the program has grown to educate more than 1,000 leaders who have completed more than 150 projects that have shaped Greater Green Bay. The Greater Green Bay Chamber has and continues to recognize professional development as a key component to recruiting and retaining talent. According to Gallup, companies that invest in their employees (with programs such as Leadership Green Bay) report 11% greater profitability and are twice as likely to retain their employees.1 Additionally 90% of millennials, the largest segment of the workforce,2 say professional development opportunities are very important to them in a job.1
Another important component of talent strategy is developing a strong workforce beginning at a younger age. The Chamber’s Teen Leadership program is designed for high school sophomores to learn about topics ranging from the history of Brown County to government and leadership. Long before these students enter the workforce, they are exposed to professional opportunities in our region, connected with local business leaders and offered resources to build a career in our area. The project requirement allows them to gain and practice their own leadership, teamwork, and communication abilities, preparing them for the in-demand skills required in today’s workforce.
During these unprecedented times of talent shortages, many companies are focused on strategically recruiting and retaining talent. Both Leadership Green Bay and Teen Leadership are premier programs designed to help meet that need.
Sources: 1 DeSimone, Rob. “What High-Performance Workplaces Do Differently.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 4 Jan. 2022, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/269405/high-performance-workplaces-differently.aspx. 2 Fry, Richard. “Millennials Are Largest Generation in the U.S. Labor Force.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 27 July 2020, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/11/millennials-largest-generation-us-labor-force/.
