All Graduates of LifeWorks First Cohort Land Jobs with Local Manufacturers
Employer-connected training program achieves 100% job placement in its first run
Advance Wisconsin Employment (AWE) is celebrating a milestone for its LifeWorks Workforce Readiness Program. All three graduates of the program’s first cohort, which ran August 17 through September 9, 2026, have been hired by local manufacturers.
The program’s final week included a series of employer tours. Within a week of those tours, all three graduates were called in for interviews, and each one received an employment offer.
“This is exactly what LifeWorks was designed to do,” said Brian Kalish, Executive Director of Advance Wisconsin Employment. “Our participants, all of whom had brushes with the law and faced numerous other barriers to employment, didn’t just build new skills. They built relationships with employers who were ready to hire. When you connect motivated job seekers directly with local businesses, good things happen quickly.”
LifeWorks is a three-week program covering workplace readiness, financial literacy, digital skills, and hands-on manufacturing training. The results affirm the program’s central promise: participants who complete it gain a direct pathway to employment, not just new skills.
Regional manufacturers continue to face a persistent labor shortage. The first cohort’s 100% placement rate shows the impact a structured, employer-connected training pipeline can have, both for job seekers, and the businesses ready to hire them.
Employer Partners
AWE thanks the employers who opened their doors to LifeWorks participants, hosted tours, and shared insight into careers in the region: Wausau Tile, Schuette Metals, Crystal Finishing, and Greenheck Group.
Program Sponsors
Support for this project was provided through the Wausau Marathon County Impact Fund of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin. AWE also extends its gratitude to the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation, Clyde F. Schlueter Foundation, Associated Bank, WoodTrust Bank, and the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation for their generous support of LifeWorks.
About Advance Wisconsin Employment
Advance Wisconsin Employment, formerly the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, is a WIOA Title I-B workforce development organization serving Workforce Development Area #6 in North Central Wisconsin. AWE connects job seekers with training and employment opportunities and helps area businesses build the skilled workforce they need. Advance Wisconsin Employment serves nine counties: Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Oneida, Marathon, Portage, Vilas, and Wood.
