Chamber staff member completes Career Pathways training

Brian Otten, Marketing and Workforce Development Director at the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce, recently completed the Designing Employer-Driven Career Pathways training offered by the ACCE Foundation, strengthening the chamber's ability to connect local employers with education and workforce partners to create clearer pathways to in-demand careers.

The training equipped chamber professionals with practical tools and strategies to identify high-demand occupations and collaborate with employers, education and training providers to develop career pathways that help workers access family-sustaining jobs while supporting local workforce needs.

Otten and the Chamber are developing a new Greater Wausau Workforce Alliance initiative which will launch this fall. The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce hosted a Workforce 2036 event in May (see the recording below) and introduced a renewed focus on addressing the area’s talent challenges. The Workforce Alliance will focus on developing, retaining and attracting talent to the region. This new, collaborative initiative is designed to bring employers, educators, workforce development partners, those that serve human development and community leaders together to tackle our region’s talent challenges head-on.

“We’re going to take a ‘big tent’ approach to this program,” said Otten. “In our more than 110 years in existence, the Chamber has repeatedly brought together those in the community to successfully address challenges. This will be another opportunity for our organization to assemble a variety of stakeholders to execute meaningful change in our region, together.”

Based on the results of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce’s member survey, conducted earlier this year, the primary challenge facing businesses in the region is clear. Local businesses want to grow revenue in a market where, according to the survey, nearly two-thirds of businesses anticipate increased demand, but without a corresponding increase in workforce. To view the results of the survey which was distributed earlier this year, view the Economic Outlook report on WausauChamber.com.

“Establishing a big picture, strategic approach to addressing our workforce challenge is imperative,” said Dave Eckmann, President and CEO of the Chamber. “Our community is so rich with many resources, people and organizations doing fantastic work to advance our economic wellbeing. In a time of resource scarcity, mapping our workforce ecosystem is critical to identify gaps and establish alignment and connectivity. The Greater Wausau Workforce Alliance will take that approach.”

To learn more about the Greater Wausau Workforce Alliance please reach out to Otten at botten@wausauchamber.com or 715-848-5947.