WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

OSFF Mission

The OSFF mission is "to advance the independence, productivity, and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities through employment opportunities and lifestyle support."

LADCO has partnered with the ORC Sheltered Friends Foundation (OSFF) to assist them with their mission of advancing the independence, productivity, and self-sufficiency of people with disabilities through employment opportunities and lifestyle support.

The OSFF was created by ORC Industries. ORC Industries is a private non-profit organization, dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities.

LADCO was fortunate to receive a grant from the OSFF to help promote workforce development and address gaps in employment in the La Crosse area.

LADCO is assisting OSFF in promoting education, employment and expansion of career opportunities for the disabled.

By continuing this collaboration between OSFF and LADCO, our hope is to foster a community of disabled workers and self-sustaining employer programs to grow the overall workforce of disabled persons.

OSFF Workforce Survey

LADCO is an economic development organization which focused on addressing challenges and problems for area businesses.

As an effort to address gaps in the workforce, LADCO sent out a brief survey to our members and partners. This survey helps us better understand the opportunities for people with disabilities in the workforce. The video on the left displays the results from this survey.

LADCO Supported Workforce Development Initiatives

TUMMA

The Upper Mississippi Manufacturing Alliance (TUMMA) recognizes that communication with students, parents, and educators of our region is important to share the wonderful career opportunities that are available in the manufacturing fields. Some of the TUMMA K-12 Taskforce key areas are listed below:

Educate and update TUMMA members on INSPIRE.
Continue Tech Ed / TUMMA events in spring and fall. Spring virtual and possibly in-person in Fall.
Collaborate and communicate on the manufacturing Seven Rivers Regional Career Pathway.

For more information, check out their website here.

7 Rivers Alliance

Childcare remains a critical issue for workplaces in our region. The 7 Rivers Alliance is partnering with providers to develop solutions to address this issue. Their website displays several statistics from the Childcare Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study. Click here to learn more about these statistics.

The 7 Rivers Alliance is also working on the Inspire 7 Rivers initiative. The Inspire 7 Rivers platform is a safe way for students to connect with potential employers and career coaches. Inspire 7 Rivers is launched in school districts within Black River Falls, Holmen, Tomah, Hillsboro, and Blair-Taylor, and now has over 114 employers and 97 coaches who are collaborating with over 1,000 active students. Click here for more information on this initiative.

CESA 4

CESA 4 works with public schools to ensure students are prepared for college and careers after graduation. To do so, they created a the Career Pathway.

A career pathway...

is developed, implemented and maintained in partnership among secondary and post-secondary education, business, and employers.
is available to all students and designed to lead through the desired levels of education and training to rewarding careers.

For more information on CESA 4 and their Career Pathways, click here.

STATE OF WI DWD

WWWDB

The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (WWWDB) has created the WIOA Youth E3 Works program.

E3 Works is a program designed to assist individuals between the ages of 14 and 24 to overcome barriers and determine a career pathway to match their interests and goals. This program serves Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties.

For more information on the E3 Works program, click here.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) is a great resource for data and information on the labor market and on Wisconsin's regional economies. La Crosse County is a part of the Western Wisconsin labor market.

For more information on "hot jobs" and regional labor data, click here!