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May 28th, 2020 | by NEWCAGrowing the ranks of those training for a career in the construction and manufacturing trades was tough enough prior to the COVID-19 scare. But the virus-related shutdowns not only impacted recruitment, but training those already in the pipeline as well.
Enter the Wisconsin Regional Training Program/BIG STEP (WRTP), who launched their Virtual Career Academy (VCA). VCA leads “virtual training and seamlessly continue[s] preparing the construction and manufacturing workforce of the future,” according to a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
They’ve accomplished this by utilizing online tools that allow, “allow training programs to keep their standards high while enabling job candidates to learn remotely. The group offers Accuplacer testing to help assess candidates’ strengths, orientation programs, apprenticeship readiness training, certification courses, tutoring, pre-employment training classes and more— all from the comfort of candidates’ own homes.”
The program is funded through collective bargaining agreement and grants, and they are now beginning to replicate the program in other communities throughout the nation.
You can read more about the program here.