A quarterly newsletter by Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County featuring updates on our McKenzie Regional Workforce Center and Careerforce Build UP! Programming.

This summer, many of you joined us for the GRAND OPENING of the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center, and we are nearing the end of our FIRST Careerforce Build UP! cohort at the new center. It has been such a pleasure to see these exceptional, driven young people in the center every day engaging in soft skills training, learning about operating a business, and gaining hands-on experience in the skilled trades field.

One of the main goals of the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center is to increase diversity within the trades, and we are setting the foundations for a more equitable, diverse workforce TODAY. Of the 124 individuals we've served to date in our July 2023 - June 2024 fiscal year, 55 (44%) of our members identify as female, and the majority of members we have served (75%) are from a minority group. Reaching young people that have not historically been represented in the trades, and getting them interested in this career pathway early will have a lasting impact in making a more diverse skilled trades industry and in our community at large.

THANK YOU DONORS!



We want to express our sincere gratitude for your donation and ongoing support of the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center. By donating to the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center Endowment, YOU fund its Skilled Trades Program and provide support for general operations, programming, and human capital to ensure this center has the funds to continue to provide training for these family-sustaining careers in perpetuity.

We would like to give special recognition to Ann Dailey for donating $255,000 in support of the McKenzie Reginal Workforce Center this fall.

This fall, we held another session of our exciting Entrepreneurship Camp with ActionCOACH! Members learned about the behind-the-scenes details of creating their own business, from balancing their finances to seeking investors. They participated in fun activities like creating a vision board, and are finalizing their business pitches to present as their capstone project for the camp!

Our Workplace Soft Skills members worked hard this fall by crafting their resumes, learning how to create a cover letter, and developing their elevator pitches! We recently held a mock interview workshop where members practiced their communication skills and interview etiquette with professionals from Madison Area Builders Association, Dave Jones, Builders First Source, Drexel, and Alterra Homes.

Our FIRST Pre-Apprenticeship Training class began in November! We have 12 members enrolled, and they've already begun earning their safety certifications, with all members having passed their CPR training! They will also earn their OSHA-10, Fall Protection, and Flagging safety certifications by the end of the course, in addition to handling power tools, framing a room, hanging drywall, and MORE!

We are blown away by the community support of the pre-apprenticeship program; BOLDT has guaranteed an interview for a youth apprenticeship at their company to the top graduate upon completion of the program, with other local companies expressing their interest in providing apprentice opportunities as well. If your company is looking for dependable, highly capable apprentices, contact skilledtrades@bgcdc.org to learn more about our pre-apprenticeship program and how you can partner with us.

Thank you to WRTP | BIG STEP and Latino Academy of Workforce Development for your help in facilitating activities, training, and safety certifications in this program.

We recently had TWO great workshops with Habitat for Humanity of Dane County! Careerforce Build UP! members learned all about framing a house, how load-bearing walls support the rest of the house, and got to practice using power tools. On the weekend, members spent a Saturday building a home! Click HERE for an inside-look at the framing workshop.

On behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County, we'd like to extend our deepest gratitude to our program partners. Because of you, we are making a profound impact in our community and will continue to do so for years to come.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County is seeking an enthusiastic, bilingual Spanish-speaking individual who wants to make a difference in the lives of youth, families, and our community to join our team! This position will work with youth (5-13 years of age) and adolescents (11-18 years of age) in school and out-of-school environments. This position is responsible for exposing youth to careers in construction through engaging in hands-on activities and programming

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Planning and implementing engaging activities for youth.
• Present construction discussions, demonstrations, and activities in local schools and organizations around Dane County as assigned.
• Ensuring the safety of members and the environment through sight and sound supervision and maintenance of equipment.

Full-Time

Beginning salary starts at $18.00/hour

Our goal is to train and connect hundreds of young people and emerging adults to the trades for generations to come. Click the button below to connect with our VP of Workforce Development, Alan Branch, and get involved with our skilled trades & and entrepreneurship programming.