New Waukesha American Job Center connects employees, employers

Bret Lemoine
·2 min read

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A new job center is now open in Waukesha, connecting prospective employees with future employers.

Sinead Raleigh moved to Wisconsin from Limerick, Ireland in 1991. She has a job at a grocery store, but she dreams of something more.

"The market is kind of poor right now," she said. "A lot of them want you to have work experience."

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Raleigh is looking in the right spot. She was at the Waukesha American Job Center on Tuesday, April 16 – the day it officially opened to the public.

"We are really committed to serving both job seekers and businesses," said Analiese Smith, the "WOW" Workforce Development Board director.

<div>New Waukesha American Job Center</div>
New Waukesha American Job Center

Smith said the new space will service the "WOW" counties – Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington. It will help with everything from resume writing to career coaching. There’s even virtual reality to give people hands-on experience with jobs without ever leaving the building.

"It did kind of put into perspective, like, if I did want to do it or not," said Jasper Saenz. A few minutes in VR was enough to help her decide a career as an EMT may not be a good fit.

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According to data released by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the state reached record low unemployment last year. The department projects the state will add nearly 83,000 jobs by next year.

That creates a challenge for businesses like Ace Precision. The manufacturer wants to fill 20 open positions at a time when the pool of applicants is small.

"A lot of times, we are looking for experienced workers, but we do offer entry-level positions as well," said Autumn Deharde, Ace Precision talent acquisition recruiter.

<div>New Waukesha American Job Center</div>
New Waukesha American Job Center

"I’m looking the best I can," Raleigh said.

It may not be the job Raleigh is looking for, but she feels more confident about her search after stopping at the new job center.

The Waukesha American Job Center used to be housed at Waukesha County Technical College. The new space is on Grandview Boulevard in Waukesha, open to the public weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.