Leader Staff
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Jeannie Jafolla, NWTC-Shawano Regional Learning Center manager, addresses high school students during their lunch on career opportunities in manufacturing Thursday at Wisconsin Film & Bag.
High school students from the Shawano, Bonduel and Menominee Indian school districts Thursday learned what it takes to get a job at Wisconsin Film & Bag, followed by a tour of the facility, as part of a program aimed at resolving workforce issues in the region.
The Trades Advisory Committee (TAC) — an alliance of Shawano County educators, employers and local agencies — formed in September 2013 with goals of increasing partnerships between businesses and educational institutions, addressing employer job needs and building the local economy.
The committee is comprised of three local high schools, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC), Wolf River School-to-Work, Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., and leaders from Schutt Industries, Kallies Electric, Aarrowcast, K.I. and Wisconsin Film & Bag.
To date, TAC has organized tours to connect high school students with employers, assessed area business needs, and worked to identify and promote career opportunities in the trades for area residents. By sharing resources and increasing collaboration, TAC organizers believe they can help the area’s citizens and businesses prosper.
“Our initial success with the TAC comes from pulling together major players from across the region to address our community’s most pressing questions: ‘How can we work together to get our students jobs, keep our businesses staffed with the best possible employees, and maintain a vibrant local economy?’” said Jeannie Jafolla, NWTC-Shawano Regional Learning Center manager and committee co-chair.
Jafolla took students through a slideshow presentation in the Film & Bag Learning Center on Thursday, outlining some of the possibilities and options awaiting them after high school, along with the estimated costs of further education and the wages they could expect from a career in manufacturing.
Students also learned that employers put a high premium on so-called soft skills, such as teamwork, professionalism and even things as simple as showing up for work every day on time.
“The collaboration among and between NWTC, the Job Center, Wolf River School to Work, the school districts and the business community focuses on growing from within and creating a workforce that has the skill sets that are necessary for our local industries,” said Dennis Heling, of Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., and TAC co-chair.
“Through the Trade Advisory Committee, we are making significant inroads not only helping our students develop a better understanding of what careers are available right here in their own hometown, but we are directly addressing our employer’s future workforce needs,” said Robyn Shingler, case manager for Forward Service Corporation and the Shawano Job Center.
Plans are in the works for tours with students at additional area businesses in the coming year.