APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – A unique education and training program at Fox Valley Technical College specifically aims to alleviate economic hardships and reverse mental health challenges created as a result of the pandemic.
FVTC is partnering with Rawhide Youth Services and Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin to utilize a $6.5 million Workforce Innovation Grant to create the program.
“Looking at high-potential individuals who want to get into the workforce, but need some holistic wraparound services to be able to participate in the skills training that we offer,” said FVTC President Chris Matheny. “It’s looking at skills training across a variety of industries like transportation and manufacturing that will get people family-sustaining jobs.”
With this collaborative program, Rawhide will train the trainers at FVTC and Goodwill to use a trauma-informed approach to education and services.
- FVTC will provide education—with a turnaround of one year or less—to a viable career path.
- Rawhide will embed a personal navigator to help students inside of class/work and provide case management and relationship support outside of class/work to assure individual success.
- Goodwill will provide comprehensive employment case management and on-the-job support for trainees during their education and employment. This will include coordinating wrap-around support to remove barriers including referrals to childcare and transportation resources.
“I think it helps both from an educational standpoint of understanding the kinds of services and wraparound care an individual might need to be successful in their occupational or skills training that they might do,” Matheny told WTAQ News. “Folks have a lot of things going on in their lives and those things sometimes, despite those individuals being very high-potential, those things might prevent them from completing an educational pathway.”
The program expects to welcome its first cohort of students in January 2023. It will offer individuals training and certification in such areas as industrial maintenance technician, wood manufacturing/cabinet maker, welding fundamentals, plumbing, early childhood teacher’s aide, nursing assistant, truck driving, and mechanic–vehicle manufacturing.
“Being able to put them in a cohort model, where there’s support from other students. And then training staff to at least recognize that there are other things going on in individuals lives and get them directed to the right resources so they can stay in school and get the job training they need,” Matheny said.
The program intends to serve around 450 individuals through the 2024 calendar year.
