Tech School Partnership Leads to New Hires in Wisconsin

About the Project

Couleecap, a local Weatherization Assistance Program agency in Wisconsin, worked with tech schools to address labor shortages.

Challenge      

Couleecap was experience challenges in recruiting and retaining new staff, with high competition from labor unions and other related construction fields.

Solution     

A staff member from Couleecap asked to be on the advisory council for Western Wisconsin Technical College’s Building Science and Energy Management program mainly focused on preparing students to work for utilities. Through this partnership, Couleecap had the opportunity to both recruit students as potential employees and to influence the curriculum for students. 

Positive Impact       

Couleecap has hired two new staff directly from the technical school’s program—these students come with technical knowledge, and Couleecap provides construction skills training. They have also been successful in incorporating more residential weatherization content into the technical school’s curriculum. Couleecap has recently started engaging with Southwest Wisconsin Technical College to develop a similar partnership.

This story was developed using content shared by Couleecap.