2026 Reducing Barriers to Employment & Advancement Investment Areas
July 6, 2026
For many, finding a job is not the problem. The challenge is finding jobs that pay a wage that allows them to have a stable career.
When we remove barriers to employment, we unlock potential, not just for individuals, but for our entire community.
Reducing employment barriers isn’t just about finding jobs. It’s about creating a more equitable, resilient community where everyone can thrive. Our Reducing Barriers to Employment & Advancement initiative is anchored in the belief that all adults should have the opportunity to start stable careers, at workplaces where they are treated with dignity with pay that allows them to have a stable career, and have opportunities to support and provide for their families.
In 2026-27, we are investing in programs committed to reducing key employment barriers.
meet the organizations selected for 2026-27 investments:
Benedict Center
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: The Benedict Center serves women involved in the justice system. Their wraparound services include workforce readiness education, employment coaching, job placement connections, and additional support for services such as support for housing, childcare, and transportation. This work also supports getting legal issues resolved.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee focuses on offering comprehensive programs for education, training, credentials, and job placements for youth. BCGGM facilitates formal career development programming ranging from job readiness, financial education, academic and career planning, industry-recognized occupational-skills training (OST) and certification, post-secondary dual-enrollment courses, and paid work experience with private and public sector partners.
Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin, Inc.
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: The Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin (DSAW) focuses on employment and workforce advancement for individuals with disabilities. DSAW delivers targeted employment skills training, career exploration, job shadows, internships, and work-based learning experiences. Outcomes may include GED or HSED completion, industry-recognized certifications such as ServSafe and Manufacturing Basics.
Employ Milwaukee, Inc.
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Employ Milwaukee's provides occupational education and training in job readiness and healthcare roles with the potential to earn a certification, credential, or degree. Areas of focus are healthcare administration, nursing, or healthcare technology, including a Medical Assistant or CNA certification, bachelor’s or associate degree, or other occupational certificates of completion.
Forward Careers, Inc. (FCI)
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: Forward Careers provides education, training, and credentials through individualized career guidance with industry-aligned training, credential attainment, and paid work experiences in high-demand sectors. High demand sectors include Certified Nursing Assistant, Commercial Driver’s License, Medical Assistant, and other technical certificates through MATC, MPTC, or WCTC. Each participant works one-on-one with a dedicated Career Planner to assess skills, identify career goals, and develop a personalized training and employment plan.
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern WI, Inc.
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Goodwill provides education, training, and credentials through their five-week CNA training. They also provide laptops, scrubs, tuition, and testing coverage, and coaching with referrals to address transportation, childcare, and other participation challenges. Graduates secure roles across hospitals, long-term care facilities, and school settings, earning family-sustaining wages and building a foundation for long-term advancement into Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) pathways.
GPS Education Partners
Counties Served: Milwaukee and Waukesha
Aligned Work: GPS Education Partners (GPS Ed) provides education, training, and credentials by preparing students ages 16–18 for family-sustaining careers in high-demand technical fields like manufacturing and skilled trades. Upon completion, participants earn a high school diploma and a State Youth Apprenticeship certificate backed by 450+ hours of paid work. Graduates obtain industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA 10/First Aid, the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC), and Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) certification. Beyond credentials, students engage in resume workshops and networking to develop a 3-year post-graduation career plan.
Grand Avenue Club
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Grand Avenue Club (GAC) provides employment placement for individuals with disabilities. GAC assists members in obtaining and maintaining jobs, providing support to both the member and employer as needed. These positions may be full- or part-time and pay the standard wage.
Greater Milwaukee Urban League
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: The Greater Milwaukee Urban League's provides employment placement to low- to moderate-income residents by equipping them with the skills, support, and access needed to obtain and sustain family-supporting employment. Their adult employments services include assessment, coaching, and job placement.
JobsWork MKE
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Jobs work MKE focuses on employment placement for individuals in the community. Their model includes an intensive, two-week Career Readiness Workshop. Those who complete the workshop are placed in Stability Employment—a supportive environment where they gain work experience and develop good work habits. In our Advancement phase members are moved from “low-skill” positions to “mid-skill” positions that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree.
Joyce's House
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Joyce’s Legacy Learning Center focuses on GED education. Participants will earn a Wisconsin GED credential, which includes the state required Civics exam, and complete digital literacy and workforce readiness training. Testing fees and preparation cost will be covered though this work.
La Casa de Esperanza, Inc.
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee. Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: La Casa de Esperanza’s provides employment placement. Participants obtain or retain employment and demonstrate growth in multiple job readiness skills, including communication, time management, and problem-solving. They will understand how to calculate the income needed to support their household and develop effective budgeting strategies.
La Casa de Esperanza’s financial literacy program VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) allows participants to receive a completed and accurately filed federal and state tax return. This return provides access to refundable tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), and guidance on direct deposit and savings options. Participants may also receive referrals to financial coaching, housing counseling, and safe banking services to support long-term financial stability.
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
Counties Served: Milwaukee and Waukesha
Aligned Work: Legal Action of Wisconsin serves individuals involved in the justice system. Their program provides post-conviction remedies that remove lifelong barriers caused by arrest or conviction records. Attorneys work on expungements, pardons, citation defense, and related legal matters to remediate the harm of legal system involvement.
Literacy Services of Wisconsin
Counties Served: Milwaukee and Waukesha
Aligned Work: Literacy services of Wisconsin provides education, training, and credentials by helping adults earn a GED, learn a trade, or obtain industry recognized certifications. LSW’s Comprehensive Services Model provides a coordinated framework for adults at varying academic levels who seek to strengthen foundational math and reading skills for workforce engagement. Upon completion, students submit an official application to DPI that includes a portfolio demonstrating mastery of required competencies and a formal letter of request resulting in a state-verifiable high school diploma that is equivalent in standing to a diploma issued by a traditional K–12 institution.
Milwaukee Community Service Corps, Inc. (MCSC)
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: Milwaukee Community Service Corps aligned provides education, training, and credentials through its Core Training program. Participants earn OSHA10 and National Safety Council Forklift Operator credentials valued in construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and environmental services. MCSC also provides a CPR/AED/First Aid credential and advanced pathways such as our WI certified Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship. These stackable credentials increase job readiness and create on ramps to apprenticeships, advanced training, and career advancement.
MobiliSE
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: FlexRide Milwaukee addresses the transportation barrier to employment. They provide safe, reliable and affordable rides to workplaces that previously were out of reach. Fares are $4 per ride, and average time between when a ride is called and when a rider arrives at work is about 45 minutes - far faster than the long bus rides and long walks that many riders once relied on.
My Way Out, Inc.
Counties Served: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha
Aligned Work: My Way Out assists individuals involved in the justice system through their Building the Path to Success pre-release cohort program. This program intervenes at the earliest possible point by providing structured pre-release preparation in essential job-readiness skills, financial literacy, digital literacy for job applications, mock interviewing prep, and sustained post-release wraparound services including access to housing. Upon release, individuals are assigned to Reentry Support Partners (RSPs) with lived experience and training to provide one on one support.
Next Door Foundation
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Next Door Foundation provides education, training, and credentials for early childhood educators. Their educational opportunities lead to certifications, technical diplomas, and college degrees in early childhood education. They offer free tuition, on-site training including access to college classes taught at Next Door, paid release time for homework or classes off-site, and mentorship.
Project RETURN, Inc.
Counties Served: Milwaukee and Waukesha
Aligned Work: Project Return provides wraparound services for individuals that have had involvement in the justice system. They work one-on-one with individuals to craft individualized, holistic plans for moving toward self-sufficiency. Direct services include resumé-building, mock interviews, serving as an application reference and community advocate, and providing necessary work equipment.
Riverworks Development Corporation
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Riverworks provide financial literacy courses through their financial empowerment center which focuses on their volunteer income tax assistance program. Their VITA clients receive tax refunds/credits to be used to reduce debt or build emergency savings. Financial Clinic clients receive improved credit scores, debt reduction, and safe bank accounts.
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Silver Spring Neighborhood Center provides education, training, and credentials through their Rise and Thrive program. Their team provides soft skill training, case management, and placement support while working to address barriers to their attainment and long-term retention in these new opportunities. SNCC is an administering agency for Transform Milwaukee Jobs Workforce program and places the largest number of individuals into work experience.
Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Sixteenth Street Community Health Center provides education, training, and credentials through their medical assistant (MA) training program. Participants complete an intensive 8–10-week curriculum that blends clinical instruction, EHR skills, return demonstrations, in-services, and individualized coaching grounded in the realities of community health. Trainees are employed as MAs from day one and gain practical experience administering medications and vaccines, conducting screenings and point-of-care tests, supporting care coordination, and assisting with urgent and specialty services.
United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM)
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee provides education, training and credentials through their year-round youth employment and career development program. They help youth and young adults overcome systemic barriers that limit access to stable careers. Participants receive tutoring, dropout recovery services, occupational skills training, and paid or unpaid work experiences. Youth also participate in leadership development, mentoring, financial literacy education, and career exploration supported by local labor market information.
Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. (WCS)
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: Wisconsin Community Services focuses on justice impacted individuals with wrap around care to support successful re-entry and long-term stability. Each participant receives an individualized program plan consisting of job readiness and employment counseling, individualized career coaching, resume and application assistance, mock interviews, and access to current job openings.
Wisconsin Community Services supports Milwaukee County residents who have lost their driver's license due to financial hardship. Their center for driver's license recovery works with low-income individuals to obtain a valid driver's license by resolving active suspensions and/or revocations against current against one’s ability to obtain a Wisconsin driver’s license.
WRTP | BIG STEP
Counties Served: Milwaukee and Waukesha
Aligned Work: WRTP’s Credentials to Careers programming has several pathways to skills training. Individuals may earn one of the following: Certified pre-apprenticeship (CPA) credentials, recognized through the Wisconsin Dept. of Workforce Development, OSHA 10 & 30, First Aid/CPR, Forklift, Flagger’s training, HSED, CDL prep & licensure, Milwaukee Residents Preference Program certification, Basic construction skills. They also focus on support services that lift employability skills, trades application assistance, and job placement & retention services.
YWCA Southeast Wisconsin
County Served: Milwaukee
Aligned Work: YWCA SEW focuses on adult education by providing HSED and GED support and credentialing opportunities. Adult education classes are offered free of charge, increasing accessibility with one-on-one tutoring. Participants enrolled in the GED pathway receive virtual, classroom-style instruction that prepares them for GED, while HSED candidates’ complete coursework to earn credentials. A four-week Personal Financial Management unit is woven into instruction while students also can meet requirements and receive the National Career Readiness Certification.
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