Latest news with #WisconsinDepartmentofWorkforceDevelopment
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Project Search graduates 10
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – 10 young adults celebrated a milestone! The interns graduated from the Project Search Program. Facilitated by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Project Search gives young adults with disabilities hands-on internship opportunities with community businesses. Graduate Jacobn Johnson explains, 'My 1st rotation is Supply Chain Management. I stocked supply rooms in, like, the surgery center, ED, and also GI. And, I worked with my mentor Jonathon to restock everything in GI after it got flooded by a cut water pipe.' Mayo Clinic Talent Solutions Specialist Chelsey Steinbrecher added, 'It has been a proven workforce solution for us, truly. It's a grow-your-own, if you think about it, from start to finish of their program. We're building them up, we're training them, and at the end of the program, they're able to work.' Project Search started in 2008 and has helped over 2000 adults across the state of Wisconsin. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ascension St. Elizabeth celebrates as ‘Project SEARCH' interns graduate & head into workforce
APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – A group of young adults in Appleton graduated from their internship program on Thursday afternoon as they prepare to enter the workforce. Ascension Northeast Wisconsin's St. Elizabeth Campus was one of the first Project SEARCH sites in the state. The program helps students achieve employment and learn about the workforce with real experience. Local nonprofit celebrates Green Bay high schoolers becoming first-generation college students The students involved in the program have either intellectual or developmental disabilities, and this program helps them transition from school to the real world. Instructors and job coaches work with interns and host businesses for training, as the roughly year-long program works to eliminate employment barriers. Learn more about Project SEARCH through the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Truvant to close one of its Wisconsin facilities, 74 employees impacted by layoffs
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, Wis. (WFRV) – A packaging and labeling company in southwestern Wisconsin is preparing to shut down one of its facilities, citing shifting business conditions and resulting in layoffs affecting dozens of workers. According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Truvant North America will permanently close its Prairie du Chien North facility at 800 N. State Street. Green Bay Police release identity of woman pulled from Fox River, foul play not suspected The closure will impact all 74 employees currently working at or reporting to the site. Of those, 44 jobs will be permanently eliminated. The remaining 30 employees have accepted offers to transfer to other Truvant facilities located within reasonable commuting distance. Truvant says layoffs are expected to begin on or around July 15, 2025, with the full closure scheduled for that same day. The company says it is providing employees with at least 60 days' notice. Trio arrested in Fond du Lac County after nearly 18-mile pursuit, drove on airport's taxiway The affected employees are not part of a union, and bumping rights, which would allow more senior employees to displace junior ones, will not apply in this case. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
MCTS launches bus mechanic, operator apprenticeship programs
The Brief MCTS launched apprenticeship programs for bus mechanics and operators. It's a first-of-its-kind workforce initiative in the state, according to MCTS. Further, MCTS said it offers a way to address transit employee shortages. MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Transit System on Tuesday launched Wisconsin's first registered apprenticeship programs for bus mechanics and operators. The backstory In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, MCTS said it's a first-of-its-kind workforce initiative in the state. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android MCTS said the programs reinforce Milwaukee County's commitment to "workforce innovation, job training, and long-term career pathways." Further, MCTS said it offers a way to address transit employee shortages. "On the 50th anniversary of MCTS, we are proud to advance Milwaukee County's public transit system and to help ensure its success over the next 50 years," said Donna Brown Martin, Milwaukee County Department of Transportation director. The program will help address a statewide shortage of bus mechanics while improving retention of new bus operators, according to officials. Big picture view The apprenticeship announcement comes less than a week after MCTS announced it was opening applications for its Summer Transit Teen Advocate program. According to MCTS, the program will bring together approximately 20 teens to tour transit facilities, learn from industry professionals, attend local field trips, and collaborate on a group project that promotes public transit among their peers. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Teen advocates will receive: A $25 meeting stipend for participation A free WisGo card for unlimited rides throughout the summer Access to mentorship and networking opportunities Applications are open now through Friday, May 23. Interested teens can apply online. The Source Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County Transit System.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin still denies unemployment claims for people on disability
A federal judge said that a 2013 Wisconsin law prevening people from collecting unemployment benefits if they are getting Social Security disability benefits violates federal laws protecting people with disabilities. (Getty Images) Since 2013, a Wisconsin law has blocked workers who lose a job from collecting unemployment insurance if they also receive Social Security disability benefits. A federal judge ruled in July 2024 that the exclusion violates federal law. Nine months later, however, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) continues to reject unemployment claims from laid-off workers who are also on disability. The delay in implementing the judge's ruling frustrates workers such as Judy Fintz of La Crosse. Fintz receives a monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payment of $1,400. By itself it's not enough to live on, she says, but she's able to work part-time at a college dining hall to help make ends meet. When the dining hall is closed between semesters and during breaks, her income drops — but unlike other employees, she can't file for unemployment insurance (UI) to tide her over during those periods. 'I work very hard on my job,' Fintz said in a telephone interview. 'I shouldn't have to have all this problem going on.' The 2013 Wisconsin law that blocks SSDI recipients from collecting unemployment insurance passed the state Legislature with only Republican support and was signed into law by then-Gov. Scott Walker. It was enacted to 'prevent the payment of duplicative government benefits for the replacement of lost earnings or income, regardless of an individual's ability to work,' in the words of the statute. A proposal in 2012 from the Walker administration claimed that most SSDI recipients didn't work and therefore, if they collected unemployment pay, they were 'double-dipping' and probably committing 'fraud.' The federal Social Security Administration program allows disability insurance recipients to work part-time if they are able to, however. The program encourages them to do so under procedures structured to ensure they do not lose their disability payments or their medical coverage under Medicaid. Victor Forberger, a Madison lawyer who represents people making unemployment insurance claims, says Wisconsin has thousands of SSDI recipients who also work part-time. Forberger is one of a team of lawyers who sued DWD on behalf of eight plaintiffs in 2021, charging that the state ban on jobless pay for SSDI recipients violated federal laws that protect people with disabilities. Lawyers from Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs and Axley Brynelson were also part of the case. On July 17, 2024, Judge William Conley ruled on summary judgment that the 2013 law violated two federal laws: the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. In his decision Conley stated that while Wisconsin law didn't intentionally discriminate against people with disabilities, it 'applies only to individuals with disabilities, meaning that it necessarily has a disparate impact on those with disabilities.' Conley's ruling put off a remedy for the plaintiffs. The lawsuit was filed as a class action, and lawyers for the plaintiffs and DWD have conflicting views about who should be included in the class action as well what remedies are appropriate. A hearing is scheduled for later this year to decide what groups of people would qualify for a remedy and what the remedies should be. Those questions relate to people who made claims in the past however — SSDI recipients whose UI claims were denied, or whose claims were initially accepted, then reversed, and who were required to repay their unemployment compensation. DWD has not indicated any plans to appeal the judge's summary judgment finding. Since the July ruling, however, DWD has continued to reject UI claims from laid-off workers who are also on SSDI, Forberger said — ignoring Conley's conclusion that doing so violates federal law. 'There's no logic that I'm aware of that would indicate why a disabled worker today filing for unemployment benefits should be denied unemployment benefits,' Forberger said. In response to an inquiry from the Wisconsin Examiner, Lee Sensenbrenner, communications director for DWD, said in an email message, 'Due to the ongoing litigation here, we won't be able to comment.' Judy Fintz is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the SSDI restriction. She said she thought after the judge's ruling was issued that she and other SSDI recipients would now qualify for unemployment benefits. 'If it's discrimination — and that's what the judge said — that's what they should go on,' she said. Forberger, who participated with Fintz in her telephone interview, pointed out that based on her work history and wage rate, Fintz would have a weekly unemployment insurance payment of $81. 'They're refusing to pay her $81 a week under this eligibility ban,' he said. 'Judy's not getting rich off anything.' Another plaintiff in the lawsuit, Cliff Neuman, combines his disability payment from SSDI with part-time work he is able to take on. Until the beginning of this year, Neuman was working part time at a grocery store. One day, he said, the store stopped scheduling him for shifts. He said he never got an explanation why. With Forberger's help he filed unemployment insurance claims each week for the five or six weeks he was out of work before finding a new job as a restaurant dishwasher. 'A couple of times we called and people refused to help him because they said he gets SSDI and is not eligible,' Forberger said. One requirement for UI applicants is to regularly search for new work and to document those searches. Neuman followed through on that requirement, but his UI applications got mired in rejections and appeals. An administrative law judge found in February that Neuman was eligible, a consequence of the Conley decision in July. After a DWD lawyer asked for reconsideration, however, the administrative law judge set aside his earlier finding. DWD's lawyer argued that the July federal court ruling is not final and that since Conley had not issued an injunction against following the 2013 law, Conley's decision could not be used to overrule the decision to deny Neuman's UI claim. Forberger submitted a response arguing that where new claims are concerned, the Conley decision should be treated as final. The administrative law judge responded by setting aside his own earlier ruling and asking both DWD and Forberger to address additional questions. Neuman was disappointed by that outcome and his inability to collect UI despite the Conley ruling in July. Getting jobless pay 'shouldn't matter if I had SSDI or not,' Neuman said. 'Once you're working you should get that.' The denial of his claims is 'not right and fair,' he said. 'To me that's picking on people that have disabilities.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
