Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Work-Share helps employees, too! Employees keep health and retirement benefits, if covered, while their hours are reduced under a Work-Share plan.  Learn more about how the Work-Share program benefits employees: https://lnkd.in/dw9kynb9.  ☂️ 🛡️ 🏥 ⚕

DWD’s own Secretary Amy Pechacek, DVR Administrator Meredith Dressel, and DET Administrator Michele Carter were thrilled to join Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Superintendent Jill Underly, Ph.D., Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chair Sachin Shivaram, and the members of the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment (CWI) for an all-day council session in Neenah today.    CWI brings together business leaders, state legislators, local elected officials, representatives from educational institutions, community-based organizations, and labor leaders from across #Wisconsin to collaborate on solutions that will keep our #economy moving forward, including by supporting employers in finding the skilled workers they need and connecting workers and job seekers to the training that will prepare them to succeed in high-demand industries.    CWI members met today to discuss labor market and #workforce updates and engage in strategic planning that will set the policy recommendations for state investments in the workforce. Congratulations to the CWI members for your hard work – our workforce is stronger thanks to your dedication. Thanks to Miron Construction Co., Inc. for hosting today’s meeting!    Learn more about CWI: https://cwi.wisconsin.gov/

Employers – are you facing a business slowdown? The Work-Share program can help avoid layoffs. You can meet reduction targets by cutting hours for two or more employees instead of laying off staff. 🤝📉 🎯 Learn more about how the Work-Share program benefits employers: https://lnkd.in/d74Pjmc

Did you know Wisconsin's Work-Share program helps employers and employees? Employers avoid layoffs and retain trained staff, and employees maintain benefits and remain employed. Wisconsin's Work-Share program has helped avoid over 13,000 layoffs. 👀💥‼️ 🤝Learn more about the Work-Share program: https://lnkd.in/dNXvPdcq

The Social Security Act was signed 90 years ago today! 🎉✍ Did you know that in addition to creating the Social Security program, the Act established the federal-state unemployment program? The program was largely influenced by #Wisconsin, which enacted the nation's first unemployment law 3 years earlier. Wisconsin was also the first state to pay unemployment benefits, on Aug. 17, 1936. Can you spot Wisconsin Senator Robert LaFollette, Jr.? See the comments for the answer. Learn more about Wisconsin's connection to the federal Social Security Act in this essay from the Wisconsin Historical Society: https://lnkd.in/eMg_GGGF

In Milwaukee, Teens Grow Greens participants are growing fresh food, flowers, and their futures in the Westlawn Gardens community. With funding from Governor Tony Evers' Worker Advancement Initiative (WAI), the DWD-supported program provides paid internships to teens to help foster essential life and career skills. WAI was first launched in 2021 as part of the governor’s groundbreaking Workforce Solutions Initiative and funded by American Rescue Plan funding. To date, programs included in Gov. Evers’ Workforce Solutions Initiative have collectively served more than 33,000 Wisconsinites. "We're proud to support TGG as it teaches students valuable job skills and prepares young people to join the workforce of tomorrow, wherever their dreams lead them," said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. Special thanks to @Employ Milwaukee for helping steward this program! Read the full story and learn more about Division of Employment and Training grants at http://bit.ly/45CECYt

Today is #InternationalYouthDay! This observance was established by the United Nations in 2000 to spotlight the contributions that young people make in education, employment, conflict resolution, and social justice. Here in #Wisconsin, DWD’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation works with youth with disabilities and witness their leadership and growth every day. In the last five years, nearly 560 youth under the age of 25 with disabilities have earned their post-secondary degree and found fulfilling long-term employment. We are proud of their hard work and honored to help transform their lives and careers – not just today, but every day! #YearOfTheKid #Wisconsin #Youth #Jobs #Careers #InternationalYouthDay #SustainableDevelopmentGoals

Today, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is proud to celebrate the achievements of our 2025 State of Wisconsin Student Diversity Internship Program (SWSDIP) summer interns. Through weekly virtual sessions, networking opportunities with division administrators, and career-building activities like mock interviews and resume reviews, DWD’s six interns built confidence, connections, and skills for the future.    As their time at DWD this summer comes to an end, we’re grateful for their contributions – and hopeful they’ll consider future careers in public service with DWD. #SWSDIP #WisconsinInternships #DWD #PublicServiceCareers #DiversityEquityInclusion #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureWorkforce #InternshipProgram 

Celebrating Success at the UW-Health / VA Project SEARCH Graduation!   Yesterday, the Madison VA Hospital hosted the final Project SEARCH graduation of the year, recognizing 11 interns for completing this transformational program. It was a joy to see families, educators, DWD staff, and our dedicated partners from VA, UW-Health, and MMSD come together to support these emerging professionals.   Project SEARCH is a powerful business-led initiative that provides youth and adults with disabilities the opportunity to gain marketable skills and launch meaningful careers. Since its start in Wisconsin in 2008, the program has grown to 29 active sites, with over 2,000 graduates statewide. These results highlight what's possible when inclusion, training, and workforce development go hand-in-hand. Congratulations, graduates – and thank you to all who make this program thrive. The future looks bright. #ProjectSEARCH #InclusionMatters #WorkforceDevelopment #DiversityAndInclusion #DisabilityEmployment #Graduation2025 #WisconsinWorkforce 

Farmworkers are the backbone of Wisconsin's agricultural industry and the foundation of our economy. On Sunday, DWD joined UMOS, Inc. in Berlin to celebrate #NationalFarmworkerAppreciationDay at their picnic and exposition. UMOS has been supporting farmworkers for 50 years and we were honored to attend and thank the people who put food on our tables. DWD met with UMOS President and CEO Jose Martinez, Laura Waldvogel from the Governor's Council on Migrant Labor, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and other community leaders to discuss the challenges facing farmworkers today. Every year, farmworkers encounter exploitation through wage and hour violations, unsafe working conditions, human trafficking, and loss of benefits they've earned through worker misclassification. The exploitation of farmworkers in Wisconsin is unfair for them and for #Wisconsin agribusinesses who play by the rules. At DWD, we’re working for an economy that prioritizes dignity and respect for all workers, from the office to the fields. DWD is helping tackle farmworkers’ concerns by offering job training, unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, and by enforcing laws that protect worker's rights. #wisconsinfarmworkers