Data that employers are paying attention to in Wisconsin
35%
Fourth graders reading at or above grade level
34.4%
of adults with some college, but no degree
2.9%
of adults are unemployed
Agile Skills for a Community In Need
Seeking to continually improve the communities in which it operates, SC Johnson partnered with Gateway Technical College to develop the Gateway to Careers Bootcamp program, designed to help address the Racine community’s skilled worker shortage by engaging the area’s underemployed and critically unemployed through a customized training program supported by wrap-around case management services.
Bridging Classroom to Career
SC Johnson is proud to have partnered with Gateway Technical College in the development and funding of this highly successful program. In addition to providing important job skills that today’s employers are seeking, the Boot Camp program also helped connect companies with individuals who are nimble in a changing manufacturing environment.
— Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President – Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability
anticipate a shortage of skilled workers
The Challenge
The local community was faced with high unemployment and a shortage of skilled workers. 80% of manufacturers anticipated shortages of skilled production workers due to a shrinking manufacturing talent pipeline. As of May 2017, there were only 43,565 resumes posted to the Wisconsin Job Center that had over 104,000 open jobs listed, 55% of which were middle-skill jobs.
Finding and training workers to fill open jobs is difficult, and it’s made even more so with the lack of a robust pipeline.
The Solution
SC Johnson partnered with Gateway Technical College to give the unemployed and underemployed opportunities to gain the in-demand skills that today’s employers are seeking and help address the area’s skills gap. The 14-week Boot Camp certificate program provides participants with a fast-track opportunity to receive technical training in manufacturing and the industrial trades, as well as valuable life and career skills.
By working with local workforce development agencies, this model was designed to support those looking for work in the city of Racine, WI and its surrounding communities. With a 95% job placement rate, graduates who were previously unemployed or underemployed are being hired by local employers and engaging in family-supporting jobs.