The Buzz from WCEDA - upcoming networking events you won't want to miss and much more... |
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WCEDA is your source for all things business - workforce, expansions, location resources, financial connections, legislative advocacy, career awareness with youth, networking events, and initiatives to address county-wide issues like housing. |
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"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new." – Socrates |
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In this email... Upcoming Events l Membership News Workforce News l County Developments Economic Indicators l Other News Valuable Resources |
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A few words from WCEDA's Executive Director, Derek D'Auria ... |
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2nd Annual Workforce Symposium
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 • 8-10:30am
Horticultural Hall, Lake Geneva
Free Event for Members • $15 non-members
Unlock Your Competitive Edge: Harness Local Resources for Innovative Training in Talent Attraction and Retention! Your input is important to us as we develop and share workforce resources. Come be a part of the solution!
It's crucial to strategically reinvest in your business to maintain competitiveness in constantly evolving markets. Technology and equipment upgrades, infrastructure maintenance, and marketing programs tend to take precedence, but in the quest to attract talent, adaptability and creative thinking have emerged as indispensable traits for businesses. We'll discuss why failing to reinvest in your current workforce and offer development opportunities for prospective employees isn't an option.
Join us at this year's Workforce Symposium to gain insight on valuable available resources and hear from employers in and around our county that are leading the way.
Featured Speaker:
Michaelene (Mickie) Healy
Lead Instructor/Director, SCC-University
Superior Crane Corp. | |
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Annual Walworth County State of the County
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 • 7:30-9am
The Ridge
Free Event for Members • $15 non-members
From an economic standpoint, Walworth County is very strong. This is good for locals businesses and good for businesses looking to locate here.
Come find out more about the state of the county, including state and region perspectives. This is a great opportunity to learn how our taxes are being spent, as well as the tax implications for the future and how this all impacts business development going forward. | |
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The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. ~Vince Lombardi |
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| | New Residences at Geneva Lake
The ribbon cutting and groundbreaking for the new Residences at Geneva Lake was held April 12. Lowell Construction company, owned by Corporate Contractors (CCI), will have the honor of building these new town homes located in downtown Fontana. |
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WCEDA's Career-Connected Learning Model Make connections with potential talent!
With unemployment rates so low, it may feel like good help is hard to find. Be a part of developing the workforce pipeline for Walworth County by getting in front of high school students early! Introduce your company and industry to future talent through WCEDA's new Career-Connected Learning (CCL) Model. Offer level 1 experiences like employer visits and job shadows to get to know local potential help that is already interested in your industry. Offer level 2 experiences like Youth Apprenticeships and promote your entry-level job openings on the WI Job Board to fill your workforce gaps NOW!
Check out the informational video of our recent event, "Hiring Head Start" by clicking here. |
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Youth Apprenticeship Celebration
Gateway hosted their annual Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Celebration honoring the students and businesses that participated in the program this year. Some of the students spoke about their experiences and how their apprenticeship has helped them decide their career path. It's so great seeing all the students and mentors together! |
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I’ve learned a lot throughout this experience with welding. My future self is going to be very happy I did this now vs later. ~Zoe, Welding YA - Elkhorn HS |
| Doing a YA in multiple places has helped me realize that I want to go into Agriculture now. ~Emma, Agriculture YA - Badger HS |
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Through this experience, I have gained hands-on experience in the marketing field, grown with a company committed to investing in the next generation, and enjoyed a remarkable workplace culture. Before this apprenticeship, I had a typical misconception of machining as a dark, dirty industry. However, I've discovered that manufacturing has evolved significantly; it's a bright, clean, and vibrant sector, particularly here in Southeastern Wisconsin, which is a hub of advanced manufacturing. I contribute to a company that makes components critical to America's front lines. This opportunity has allowed me to discover my passion while still in high school. Without this program, I might still be uncertain about my career path. I recently accepted a job offer as the Marketing Coordinator for Reader Precision Solutions, following my graduation. Throughout this journey, I've accumulated hundreds of on-the-job hours, networked with our local community, and connected with other industry leaders." ~David, Marketing YA - Elkhorn HS
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| Cosmetology students offer facials Elkhorn School District Career and College Academy cosmetology students would like to treat you to a complimentary facial the week of April 29th and the week of May 6th. WCEDA's Lisa Pavett took part and said it was a nice experience, and the kids were great!
There are still some spots available. Get in now before they are gone! [Register Now] |
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WCEDA'S Leadership Training
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| Leadership Training for Entry- to Mid-Level Managers |
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Fundamentals of Supervision Modules can be taken individually and in any order. Fundamentals of Supervision Module III, the next stage in honing leadership skills, is scheduled to begin on June 12.
Registrations are currently open and can be completed online or by contacting Susan directly via email at Susan@walworthbusiness.com or reaching her via cell at 262.215.7254.
Don't miss this opportunity to further develop your teams supervisory abilities to excel in their managerial roles. Module III
Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn Campus Wednesdays, 8-11am June 12, 19, 26 July 10 |
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Leadership Training for Executive-Level and C-Suite Leaders
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Top Level Leadership
This advanced leadership series isn’t a one-off course. We’re presenting an opportunity to join others and work with an expert in organizational psychology, organizational development and change leadership on building the human side of your business. We know that our local business community is the most technically capable out there. We also know that what prevents us from realizing our greatness has a human face. Contact Susan Smolarek for information how your management team can join in the next session. |
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Other WCEDA Training Options
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Spanish For Business I
BIRDS EYE - CLASSES IN PROGRESS
We are currently in session with the Birds Eye group, who enrolled over 20 participants, showcasing the strong interest in enhancing communication within leadership teams with Spanish-speaking counterparts.
This class serves as an excellent foundation for fostering better understanding and collaboration across language barriers.
If you are interested in joining a multi-company class or scheduling a custom course for your business, please reach out to Susan via email at Susan@Walworthbusiness.com or contact her directly at 262.215.7254, to discuss. |
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Coming Soon! Bring Your 'A' Game
Empower your workforce with essential workplace skills, increase employment and promote lifelong success! Bring Your ‘A’ Game is an engaging curriculum for building the seven foundational workplace skills of Work Ethic. |
- Attendance (Reliability)
- Attitude (Positivity)
- Appearance (Professionalism)
- Ambition (Initiative)
- Acceptance (Respect)
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Appreciation (Gratitude)
- Accountability (Integrity)
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WCEDA addresses the Lakeland Builders Association, Lakes Area REALTORS® Association
Walworth County is committed to continuing to find and implement solutions to the housing shortage! Municipal leaders, along with builders, REALTORS®, interested members and other businesses came together at two informative events to discuss workforce housing for the "missing middle" and details about financing options for development. WCEDA's Pam Carper, Housing Program Manager, updated the group on the work she's completed in her seven months on the project and progress made to address workforce housing shortages in Walworth County.
Attendees at the two events heard from Mark Luberda, Walworth County Administrator, Jeff Towne, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Joe Roman, Frank Roman and Joe Murray of Ehlers Public Finance, Patricia Bladow, Lakeland Builders Association, and Derek D'Auria and Pam Carper of WCEDA. Municipalities represented included Delavan, East Troy, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva, Whitewater and Williams Bay. |
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| Exciting news for Whitewater residents!
Discover the City of Whitewater's latest initiatives to make affordable housing a reality for everyone in their community. The purpose of the Affordable Housing Fund is to assist home buyers and developers by addressing the lack of housing stock available in the City of Whitewater, by the creation of affordable housing opportunities, such as supporting home buyers in acquiring homes and incentivizing contractors/developers with the construction of new single family owner-occupied residential housing units. Additionally, this policy sets forth the initial terms of allocating approximately $1.9M in monies the City of Whitewater has available to support affordable housing. For more information call 262-473-0149.
[Learn More] |
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| Homebuyer Ready Workshop
May 15, 2024 • 5:15pm
Associated Bank 219 W. Center Street Whitewater, WI 53190
Are you tired of renting? Are you looking to buy a home but don't know where to start? Do you want to learn the process of going from renting to owning? Check out this workshop. [Learn More] |
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Welcome new WCEDA members!! Thank you for your support!
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Why support WCEDA? We are a 501(c)(6) non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for Walworth County residents by working with public and private sector partners to advance efforts that create jobs and build private sector investment in our communities. We host events for local businesses that connect them with resources and education to facilitate their growth.
[Learn more] |
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| Royal Basket Trucks named a 2024 National Top Workplace
For the first time in company history, Royal Basket Trucks is proud to announce that USA Today has named Royal Basket Trucks a 2024 National Top Workplace! "We are honored to receive this award based on feedback from our employees. A big thank you to everyone on the Royal Team who helped make this happen!"
[Read on] |
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| Precision Plus awarded Top Work Places 2024
"Our commitment to excellence is not just in our precision machining - it's about creating a work environment and culture where our team can thrive. We are proud to be a Top Workplaces for the third year in a row!" [Read on]
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| Radius Packaging awarded Top Work Places 2024
"We’re thrilled to announce that we made the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2024 #TopWorkplace list. This award means the world to us because it’s based on feedback from our members! At Radius, we believe that a positive and supportive work environment is essential for success. Our mission is to create a workplace where every individual feels valued, empowered, and inspired to bring their best selves to work every day." [Read on]
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| Kikkoman Foods to build factory in Jefferson
Jefferson, Wisconsin, the construction site of the new plant, is located approximately 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) north of their current Wisconsin plant in Walworth. As with Walworth, Jefferson also has great market access, an outstanding workforce, is centrally located for the raw materials of soybeans and wheat, and has plenty of pure, high-quality water making it well-suited for soy sauce brewing.
The new plant will be thier third located in the U.S., after the current Wisconsin Plant, which began shipping in 1973, and the California Plant, which began shipping in 1998, and their Group’s ninth overseas soy sauce production site. [Read on] |
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| Elkhorn School District Great Give Back
EASD had an AMAZING turnout on Saturday, April 13, for the Great Give Back! Sponsored by the Nicholas D. Sergi Foundation, the Great Give Back is a day of volunteering and giving back to our community. High School students from EAHS, CCA, and Options loaded up on school buses and hit the town, completing service projects at Lutherdale, Tree House, the Food Pantry, Matheson Memorial Library, Open Arms Clinic, Seeds of Hope, VIP Services, and more! [Learn More]
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| FORM Wealth CEO named to Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list
CEO and Founding Partner, Tyson Ray, was named to the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list. This Forbes list showcases top-tier wealth managers nationwide, underscoring Tyson's expertise and their team's dedication to delivering exceptional service to every client here at FORM Wealth Advisors. Please join us in congratulating Tyson on this achievement and well-deserved recognition. [Read on]
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East Troy Chamber of Commerce First Fridays are back!
Mark your calendars for an assortment of special events to take place at East Troy Village Square Park, 2881 Main St., this summer with the return of East Troy’s First Fridays series.
East Troy's First Fridays are an immersive community experience showcasing the best of what East Troy has to offer.
Taking place the first Friday of each month May-September, with a different theme each month, First Fridays features live music, dining & retail specials, artist showcases, kid-friendly activities, and much more.
[Learn More] |
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| Project Lead the Way
May 3, 2024 8am - 3:15pm
Elkhorn High School
On May 3rd, the Elkhorn Area School District will host a Project Lead the Way Showcase. Studies show students in PLTW courses outperform their peers in school, are better prepared for post-secondary studies, and are more likely to consider careers as scientists, technology experts, engineers, mathematicians, healthcare providers, and researchers compared to their non-PLTW peers. These Showcases are the perfect opportunity to see how that's possible.
This opportunity is free of charge, and we will provide breakfast and lunch to all registered participants. At these events are current PLTW Districts, school districts that may scale up their work, and school districts that are considering PLTW. [Learn More]
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Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is beginning a regional broadband assessment in an effort to bring broadband to more Wisconsinites. The first step in the process is to conduct speed testing across the region. To take the test, residents and businesses simply need to visit, from their home or work location. It will only take a few moments and personal information is always protected and never shared. [Take the Test]
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| National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive May 11, 2024 Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States.
The need is great, but you can help. We invite you to join letter carriers and our partner organizations in the fight to end hunger in our communities by participating in the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
Simply leave your donation of non-perishable food in a bag near your mailbox on the second Saturday in May, and your letter carrier will do the rest, or bring your non-perishable donations to any Advia branch. Together, we can make a difference in our community!
[Learn More] |
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City of Elkhorn hiring Recreation Supervisor This is a supervisory position responsible for coordination of sports, aquatics & enrichment programming for the Elkhorn Recreation Department.
Under general direction of the Recreation Director, assigns, directs and coordinates adult sports, youth sports, adult/youth enrichment activities, special events, contracted programs, Sunset summer camp and assist with outdoor Sunset Pool operations. [Learn More] |
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| Walworth County hiring Administrative Clerk II - Judicial Assistant
This role is available now, therefore if you're keen to learn more about this fantastic opportunity with a supportive role inside the community, apply today! [Learn More] |
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To read more about each indicator, visit the newsletter section of our website here. |
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According to the BLS current population survey (CPS), the unemployment rate for Wisconsin rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 3.3%. The state unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the... |
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10-2 Year Treasury Yield Spread is at -0.35%, compared to -0.34% the previous market day and -0.55% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 0.87%. The 10-2 Treasury Yield Spread is the difference between the... |
| New orders for manufactured durable goods in the United States surged by 2.6% month-over-month in March 2024, following a downwardly revised 0.7% growth seen in February and slightly exceeding market expectations of a 2.5%... |
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Average Crude Oil Spot Price is at a current level of 83.55, up from 80.55 last month and up from 76.47 one year ago. This is a change of 3.72% from last month and 9.25% from one year ago. The Average Crude Oil Spot Price... |
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| The National Small Business Week Virtual kicks off today, April 30!
During the free two-day virtual event, you can access business educational workshops, federal resources, networking opportunities, and more! Between sessions, make sure you check out our other rooms: - Exhibit hall: Chat with our cosponsors and pick up free resources for your business.
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Mentoring hall: Get answers to your business questions from one of our experienced mentors.
- Networking lounge: Make new connections with fellow aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.
- Inspiration hall: View small business success stories and get inspired to achieve greatness.
Get in on day two now!
[Register Now] |
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| Recovery-Friendly Workplaces Launches May 1
Walworth County invites you and your employees to check out an exciting new resource designed specifically for local employers like you.
To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, the County has launched Recovery at Work, an initiative to help companies adopt recovery-friendly workplace practices. The campaign provides employers with tools and resources to support employees' overall health, address substance use issues, and build stronger businesses. [Learn More] |
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| Money Matters Live
The FREE Money Matters Live series, sessions on financial goal setting, budgeting, saving, and financial recordkeeping will be offered at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout May (May 1, 8, 15, and 22).
Whether you are looking to set financial goals, make a spending plan (budget), learn ways to save money, or figure out how to keep your financial records, this FREE online series over Zoom is for you! Each session will be up to an hour long and will include a short presentation and lots of time for discussion and questions. [Learn More] Rent Smart May 2024 – Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-10 am May 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, and 30 (check in Tuesday, May 7)
June 2024 – Mondays and Wednesdays 7-8 pm
June 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, and 26 (check in Monday, June 3) The FREE Rent Smart Program is designed to help renters be more informed! Helping to make renting a great experience for you! The free online class is designed for renters! [More Info]
Volunteers and Professionals can learn to use the curriculum (free)
Tuesdays and Wednesday, July 9, 10, 16, 17, 2024 (central time) 10 am – 1 pm [More Info] |
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| Get peace of mind with energy assistance
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) provides funds for heating and electric costs as well as energy crisis situations. Customers who have received WHEAP funding may still qualify for additional crisis funding. If you’re approved to receive LIHEAP funding, you automatically qualify for assistance through Wisconsin’s Public Benefits program. LIHEAP accepts applications on a first-come, first-serve basis between Oct. 1 and May 15. [Learn More]
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| Wisconsin businesses eligible for federal disaster relief after unseasonably warm winter
Businesses may be eligible for federal aid through the U.S. Small Businesses Administration’s disaster loan program. The loans are meant to help businesses get through emergency situations that have led to economic losses. [Learn More]
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| Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) C-PACE is a property tax-assessment financing mechanism for energy & water
efficiency and renewable energy improvements to commercial properties. Benefits include: finance up to 100% of hard + soft costs, fixed rate, long-term: 20 – 30 years, tenants share cost & savings, transfers to new owner upon sale, potential off-balance sheet treatment, reduce waste & improve experience. [Learn More] |
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| WCEDA Loan Program
Are you having trouble getting a loan? Are your revenues under $1 million? WCEDA may be able to HELP. We have a loan program through the USDA for small businesses called the Hometown Entrepreneur Loan Program (HELP) that aims to help small business access capital. Many times we can work with banks or other programs like SBA or WHEDA to make a loan work for companies.
[APPLICATION]
[ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES] [CONTACT WCEDA] |
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