MONROE - A crowd of roughly 30 people crammed into the entrance of Blackhawk Technical College on Thursday to witness the official opening of the Green County Workforce Development Outreach Center, a resource absent from the county for the past nine years.
Rhonda Suda, CEO of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, stood at the entrance of the learning resource room to discuss the evolution of the plans for a jobs center in the area. In the past, residents of Green County have had to travel to Janesville for unemployment classes or to gain resources for other related issues.
"We're going to be able to come in and provide direct, face-to-face services," Suda said.
When the state cut funding for job resource centers throughout the state, Green County lost the epicenter where potential employees can learn how to apply for a position, and employers had their resources for acquiring potential employees narrowed.
"The idea was "let's start out small and see where we go,'" Suda said. "Because you can always add stuff."
Matt Urban, who serves as the director of the Blackhawk Technical College campus in Monroe, was one of the first people to work toward the goal of a workforce development center. Suda gave Urban and BTC President Tracy Pierner credit for the idea and making the goal a reality.
The Monroe Chamber of Commerce also had a hand in the development. Executive Director Cara Carper was one of the people involved in the original planning of the replacement center. Carper said she had done some research into the tradition of ribbon cutting and found it is symbolic of removing obstacles or barriers to complete a project.
"With this ribbon cutting, may the obstacles be behind you," Carper said.
As a resource, the center will provide "training in a one-stop shop," Carper said. The services will include resume building and overall job-building skills. It will also provide a resource for local employers looking to hire new employees with specialized skills and a partnership for businesses who focus on recruiting veterans. The site should also host monthly classes, she said.
"It's hard to navigate all the different programs that are out there," Carper said. "I really feel like people got lost."
Urban said the development of the resource center was very apparent after BTC hosted job fairs and witnessed the impact they had on job seekers and local employers. He said the open doors of the school provide a chance for synergy among students and the public as well.
"Blackhawk Tech with a resource center made perfect sense," Urban said.
The resource center will be open with provided resource materials and public computer access between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, Urban said. Though the center will not always be staffed, he added. The resource is a part of the American Job Center Network, and included the collaboration of a number of groups, including Wisconsin Job Service, Forward Service Corporation, Manpower, the SWWWD Board, the local Veteran Services chapter and others.
Rhonda Suda, CEO of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, stood at the entrance of the learning resource room to discuss the evolution of the plans for a jobs center in the area. In the past, residents of Green County have had to travel to Janesville for unemployment classes or to gain resources for other related issues.
"We're going to be able to come in and provide direct, face-to-face services," Suda said.
When the state cut funding for job resource centers throughout the state, Green County lost the epicenter where potential employees can learn how to apply for a position, and employers had their resources for acquiring potential employees narrowed.
"The idea was "let's start out small and see where we go,'" Suda said. "Because you can always add stuff."
Matt Urban, who serves as the director of the Blackhawk Technical College campus in Monroe, was one of the first people to work toward the goal of a workforce development center. Suda gave Urban and BTC President Tracy Pierner credit for the idea and making the goal a reality.
The Monroe Chamber of Commerce also had a hand in the development. Executive Director Cara Carper was one of the people involved in the original planning of the replacement center. Carper said she had done some research into the tradition of ribbon cutting and found it is symbolic of removing obstacles or barriers to complete a project.
"With this ribbon cutting, may the obstacles be behind you," Carper said.
As a resource, the center will provide "training in a one-stop shop," Carper said. The services will include resume building and overall job-building skills. It will also provide a resource for local employers looking to hire new employees with specialized skills and a partnership for businesses who focus on recruiting veterans. The site should also host monthly classes, she said.
"It's hard to navigate all the different programs that are out there," Carper said. "I really feel like people got lost."
Urban said the development of the resource center was very apparent after BTC hosted job fairs and witnessed the impact they had on job seekers and local employers. He said the open doors of the school provide a chance for synergy among students and the public as well.
"Blackhawk Tech with a resource center made perfect sense," Urban said.
The resource center will be open with provided resource materials and public computer access between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, Urban said. Though the center will not always be staffed, he added. The resource is a part of the American Job Center Network, and included the collaboration of a number of groups, including Wisconsin Job Service, Forward Service Corporation, Manpower, the SWWWD Board, the local Veteran Services chapter and others.