In the Spotlight

E-Hub Recognition
SWWDB Recognized for Rock County E-Hub Program
Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board Executive Director Dr. Robert Borremans and SWWDB Business and Employer Services Manager Eric Kuznacic receive a plaque from Sara White, left, co-founder of the Urban Hope Foundation and widow of NFL hall-of-famer Reggie White, and Mark Burwell, right, national executive director of the E-Hub program on May 25 during the E-Hub Annual Recognition Dinner in Green Bay.  The plaque was awarded to SWWDB in recognition of the Rock County E-Hub program, which began in January 2010 and so far has graduated 38 participant entrepreneurs.

SWWDB Update
Read the September issue of SWWDB Update. . .
>read more
 
Wisconsin's Forgotten Middle Skills Jobs
This study by The Workforce Alliance (TWA) and Skills2Compete-Wisconsin projects more than 426,000 "middle-skill" job openings for the state by 2016.
>read more
 
Working Wisconsin
The State of Working Wisconsin - 2010 reports on analysis of jobs, wages, poverty, and income, as well as an account of economic inequality in the state, produced by COWS.
>read more
 
Bringing Home the Green
A User’s Guide to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Download full report if desired from greenforall.org
>read more
 

Home < News and Press

News and Press

Quick Links:

  Ask the Expert Articles
  News Articles & Broadcasts
  News Releases
  Presentations
  Publications
   
   

NEWS ARTICLES & BROADCASTS

News articles about SWWDB's programs and services:


SWWDB Economic Impact Study
11/10/11
Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI)
EMSI is pleased to present this report on the economic contribution of Southwest Wisconsin Wordforce Development Board (SWWDB), serving Rock, Green, Richland, Lafayette, Grant, and Iowa Counties in the state of Wisconsin.


Job training has success story
11/01/11
Beloit Daily News
The Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board's (SWWDB) On-The-Job Training (OJT) program is designed to benefit both the employee and the business that hires them. It has worked out that way in almost all cases, and the successful bonding of Scot Forge of Clinton and Victor Burrington is but one example how both can benefit.

"Skill's Gap" hampers Rock County unemployed
10/10/11
1230 AM WCLO Radio
Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board CEO Bob Borremans says the "skills gap" is a growing concern. Borremans says the concern is 21st century jobs need different levels of skills than what's been seen historically. Listen to the Podcast.

Janesville job picture might be improving
09/22/11
Gazette-Xtra
The good news? More jobs are out there. The bad news? Job seekers need to get the right skills and tailor their resumes to set themselves apart.

Feds Come to Town to Hear About Needs, Offer Help
06/12/10
Gazette-Xtra
Ed Montgomery, executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers, said he was impressed at how a wide variety of agencies come together at the Job Center to help displaced workers.

White House Auto Recovery Director Visits Janesville; Montgomery Tours Rock County Job Center
06/11/10
Channel 3000
Dr. Ed Montgomery, the executive director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers, and other federal officials visited Janesville and Kenosha and met with local workers and community leaders affected by the economic downturn.

Obama's Auto Rep Sees Impact of Janesville, Kenosha Closings
06/11/10
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Edward B. Montgomery, President Barack Obama's counsel on automotive communities and workers, showed up here Friday not to tell people what the government wanted to do, he said, but to listen.

White House Official to Janesville: 'Don't wait'
06/10/10
Channel 27 WKOW
Eighteen months after General Motors leaves, a White House official visits Janesville to hear ideas from the community on how to get the economy rolling again.  "This is not the federal government imposing," Ed Montgomery, director of recovery for auto communities and workers, said. "This is the federal government listening."

E-Hub Program Gives Boost to Small Businesses
06/09/10
Gazette-Xtra
For 12 years, Luisa Verheijen dreamed of designer shoes . . . this year, she got a boost from a local group of mentors and advisors helping her and others like her bring business ideas to fruition.  E-HUB is a six-week instructional program that originated in Green Bay and is aimed at providing resources, inspiration and connections to start a small business or reboot an existing one.

Fighting Back Against Forbes (click for news story)
(Click here for Video)
05/06/10
Channel NBC-15
In the May first issue of Forbes Magazine, Janesville was named the seventh worst city in America to find a job. Vic Grassman, Economic Director of Janesville, along with Dr. Robert Borremans, SWWDB Executive Director, challenge that ranking.

Grants Hoped to Help Job Training
02/03/10
Beloit Daily News
Those affected by the GM shutdown will get more funds in Rock County. The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a $2.3 million National Emergency Grant supplemental award to continue to provide services to about 1,400 workers affected by layoffs in the automotive industry of Rock County.

Who is Driving Rock County's Economic Recovery Bus?
01/17/10
WLCO Radio - Janesville
Rock County 5.0 is focusing on business retention and expansion, new business attraction, small business and entrepreneurship, real estate positioning and workforce profiling. While the local auto industry dislocated more than 3,000 workers, the area’s economic downturn affected nearly three times that many, said Bob Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. So far, about one-third of them have sought a variety of social and educational services, many of which emanate from agencies housed at the Rock County Job Center in Janesville.....more on Collaborative Organizations Responding to Dislocations (CORD), an initiative launched in late 2008 as a response to auto industry layoffs.

Rock County E-Hub
11/30/09
WLCO Radio - Janesville
Eric Kuznacic of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board and Kaia Fowler of the UW-Whitewater Small Business Development Center appeared on WCLO Radio's "The Stan Milam Show" to promote a collaboration between the two organizations to bring the "E-Hub" entrepreneurial-training program to Rock County. Click the link to listen to the interview. For more information about E-Hub, contact Eric Kuznacic at (608) 741-3502.

Unemployed Worker Networks His Way to New Opportunities
11/09/09
Gazette-Xtra
Christian, 34, credits the staff and programs at the Rock County Job Center with helping him get back into the workforce after eight months of unemployment.

Visiting a Weatherization Job Site
09/09/09
Discover Janesville
As part of the Summer Youth Employment Program, youth in six southwestern counties in Wisconsin are set up with existing businesses to help them out for the summer.  We visit Beneficial Insulation Solutions, one job site that has hired two youth employees in "green" jobs.

Green Jobs in Beloit
07/30/09
Channel 27 WKOW
Video features how stimulus dollars are helping Beloit youth and homeowners.  The program currently employs 25 workers as trained Energy Advocates in five communities across the state, offering energy audits to interested homeowners.

Beloit Program Trains Young Workers For Green Jobs
07/29/09
Channel 3000
President Barack Obama promised green jobs to be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and those federal stimulus dollars are the focus of a new program in Beloit that's putting young people to work and saving energy.

SWWDB Summer Youth
07/22/09
Workforce Times - Newsletter of Wisconsin Workforce Development Association.  Three workers supplied by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) Summer Youth Employment program, utilizing American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars, have been recognized by the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District Board at a public board meeting.

Rock County Gets More Dollars for Dislocated Workers
07/01/09
Gazette-Xtra
Rock County gets $2.2 million more to help dislocated workers.

Hire a Neighbor Program
06/09/09
Green County Development Corporation News
The Hire a Neighbor program is a cooperative venture between the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) and Monster.com designed to assist both job-seekers and employers seeking qualified candidates.

A Man Helping His Own - Ed Martinez
05/01/09
Workforce Times - Newsletter of Wisconsin Workforce Development Association.  Knowing what it’s like to work at a company for 31 years and then lose your job, Ed Martinez is using that knowledge and empathy to help his former co-workers.

Back to top


NEWS RELEASES

SWWDB Adds Value of $2.56 for Every Dollar Spent
11/11/11
A report generated by the Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) reveals that the economic impact generated by the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) provides a return of $2.56 for every dollar spent in Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funding. The report included the combined adult, dislocated worker and youth programs.

Local Veterans Have Access to Gold Card Initiative for Job Location
11/09/11
Local post 9/11 Veterans are being offered 'Gold Card' services—intensive assistance through the local Job Centers and the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) to help in the seeking of appropriate employment location.

Employment and Training Event to be Held in Area
09/02/11
September has been designated as Workforce Development Month by Governor Walker. The Wisconsin Workforce Development Association will be highlighting its new innovative statewide video conferencing system with a Kick-Start Your Career workshop for job seekers. This simulcast workshop will be on September 8 from 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm at the Rock county Job Center in Janesville and the SWWDB Office in Platteville.

Rock County Job Center Seeks Employers for September Job Fair
08/16/11
The Rock County Job Center, located at 1900 Center Avenue, Janesville, seeks local employers to participate in its Fall 2011 Rock County Job Fair. The multi-employer job fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday,
September 21.

Rock County Job Center to Host Industry-Focused Job Fairs
04/11/11
The Rock County Job Center, located at 1900 Center Avenue, Janesville, will host three separate, industry-focused job fairs this spring.  All events run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There will be a job fair for manufacturing employers on Monday, April 18, one for health care employers on Thursday, April 21 and a third event for all other industries on Monday, April 25.

Grants Supporting Workforce Development Programs Available to Un-, Under-Employed
04/04/11
The Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) has received several grants which, along with partner agencies, allows it to provide both adults and youth avenues and resources to pursue training and careers relevant to today's marketplace.

Manpower - New Service Provider for Rock, Green County
06/30/10
Manpower, Inc. will be the new service provider, operating under a contract with the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB), assisting unemployed workers and job seekers residing in Rock or Green County looking for workforce services and training opportunities, starting July 1, 2010.

Southwest Tech - New Service Provider
06/30/10
Southwest Tech will be the new service provider, operating under a contract with the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB), assisting unemployed workers and job seekers residing in Grant, Lafayette, Iowa and Richland Counties looking for workforce services and training opportunities, starting July 1, 2010.

Future Fields Program
02/10/10
The Wisconsin Farm Center announces Future Fields, a program to help farmers find off-farm employment to replace or supplement farm income. The program is open for enrollment in southwestern Wisconsin and set to go statewide this summer.

Service Provider Fairs
02/09/10
A series of Service Provider Fairs is being offered at the Rock County Job Center. Organizations at the fair are available to assist persons losing unemployment benefits.

Hire a Neighbor
05/20/09
SWWDB & MONSTER develop a Hire a Neighbor Program to assist unemployed, businesses.

Back to top


PRESENTATIONS

Assembly Committee on Workforce Development
05/07/09
The Assembly Committee on Workforce Development held an informational hearing on Thursday, May 7, 2009, for invited testimony.  The committee heard from the following speakers: Ruben Anthony, Jr., Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation; Dr. Robert Borremans, Executive Director, Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. (Time: 75 minutes)

Special Committee on Building Wisconsin's Workforce
09/23/08
The Special Committee on Building Wisconsin's Workforce, chaired by Representative Patricia Strachota, met on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, on the following: Presentations by invited speakers, including John Keckhaver, Research Analyst, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families; Jim Golembeski, Executive Director, Bay Area Workforce Development Board; and Robert Borremans, Executive Director, Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.  The committee also discussed committee assignment with a focus on discussing potential legislative recommendations or specific issue areas that the committee should further study. (Time: 95 minutes)

Back to top


P U B L I C A T I O N S

SWWDB Update - December 2011
12/02/11
Volume 3, Issue 4 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Update - June 2011
06/13/11
Volume 3, Issue 2 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Update - February 2011
02/10/11
Volume 3, Issue 1 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Update - September 2010
09/28/10
Volume 2, Issue 3 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Update - June 2010
06/18/10
Volume 2, Issue 2 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Update - February 2010
02/10/10
Volume 2, Issue 1 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


CORD Newsletters
Click to read the CORD Newsletters.


Rock County Profile
The Rock County Profile is a composite of socioeconomic information about Rock County, Wisconsin, and the communities and organizations who partner to make Rock County an outstanding place to live and work.


SWWDB Update - September
09/29/09
Volume 1, Issue 3 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Workforce Snapshot
09/09/09
A quarterly review reporting on what is happening with workforce needs in southwest Wisconsin.


SWWDB Update - August
08/05/09
Volume 1, Issue 2 - A publication describing matters of interest regarding the services and programs of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board.


SWWDB Workforce Snapshot
06/10/09
A quarterly review reporting on what is happening with workforce needs in southwest Wisconsin.


SWWDB Workforce Snapshot
03/11/09
A quarterly review reporting on what is happening with workforce needs in southwest Wisconsin.


SWWDB Workforce Snapshot
12/10/08
A quarterly review reporting on what is happening with workforce needs in southwest Wisconsin.


Back to top

Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
1370 N. Water Street • Platteville, WI 53818 • Phone (608) 342-4220 • Fax (608) 342-4429