BEAR Discussion with Deb Leslie of Workforce Resource
June 18, 2021 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
The CCEDC will sit down with Deb Leslie, Chief Executive Officer at Workforce Resource, Inc., to talk about the development of the company, the area’s workforce, and more!
Workforce Resource, Inc. (WRI) is a private non-profit corporation incorporated originally as the West Central Wisconsin Private Industry Council, Inc. in 1983 and has been in continuous operation in the nine county (Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix) West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Area since its founding. Operating workforce development programs through job centers in the region, WRI has successfully managed the region’s Job Training Partnership Act, Workforce Investment Act and the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act. Since 2013, Workforce Resource has been the designated W2 (Wisconsin Works) program operator for the 16 county Northwest Wisconsin W2 region which added 8 northern counties (Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Rusk, Sawyer, Washburn) to its service territory with service centers strategically located to serve the W2 eligible population in those counties. WRI has been the designated FoodShare Employment and Training Program operator in West Central and NW WI beginning April 2015, expanding its service territory to two additional counties (Price and Taylor) resulting in a total service area of 19 counties. In October 2017, WRI was designated the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) service provider for the counties of Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Portage, Taylor and Wood. WRI has also operated a variety of state and federal discretionary and demonstration grant programs from multiple state and federal agencies and numerous private foundation and revenue generating projects. (taken from https://www.workforceresource.org/about.html)