Main Business Services Team

The Advance Wisconsin Employment Business Services Team (BST) is a robust network of workforce development professionals dedicated to driving economic growth across our 9-county Workforce Development Area (WDA). Under the leadership of Peter Gelhar, Business Services Director, our core mission is building strong, lasting relationships with regional employers to create inclusive workforce solutions.

One of our most effective strategies for connecting talent with opportunity is our boots-on-the-ground approach. We actively organize local business tours for our team members to go on-site, learn firsthand about a company's culture, and deeply understand their open roles. This immersive insight allows us to precisely promote these opportunities to job seekers throughout the community.

We proudly collaborate across an expansive network of partners to deliver these results:

  • Higher Education & K-12 Pathways: Mid-State Technical College (MSTC), Northcentral Technical College (NTC), Nicolet College, regional CESAs, and our local school districts.
  • Department of Workforce Development (DWD): DWD Apprenticeship, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Division of Employment and Training (DET), Office of Veteran Employment Services (OVES), and the Department of Corrections (DOC).
  • Community & Business Partners: Local Chambers of Commerce, Forward Service Corporation (representing W2 and WIOA programs), and CW Solutions (our local FSET provider).

Together, this powerful partnership allows us to reach and support all area job seekers, with a specialized focus on empowering populations that are traditionally underrepresented in the workforce.

North Region

Counties Served:
Oneida, Forest, and Vilas

Our North region team brings our full network of workforce and educational partners directly into Oneida, Forest, and Vilas counties. We focus heavily on supporting the unique needs of our northern rural economies, connecting local employers with fresh talent pools, and ensuring job seekers in these communities have direct access to statewide training, apprenticeship, and employment programs.

Central Region

Counties Served:
Langlade, Lincoln, and Marathon

In the Central region, our team actively aligns local labor assets with emerging business needs across Langlade, Lincoln, and Marathon counties. By coordinate-linking our educational pathways and agency partners, we help central Wisconsin businesses scale efficiently while organizing localized company tours to map out clear career pathways for area job seekers.

South Region

Counties Served:
Portage, Adams, and Wood

Serving Portage, Adams, and Wood counties, our South region team focuses on removing employment barriers and fueling robust hiring pipelines. We leverage our full suite of local technical college programs, DWD services, and community action resources to build a highly inclusive and competitive workforce across our southern communities.