Wednesday afternoon, the Merrill Fire Department received a visit from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) Deputy Secretary Georgia Maxwell and Assistant Deputy Secretary Dave Anderson, in recognition of the department’s participation and dedication to employing those with disabilities. During the visit, Merrill Fire Chief Dave Savone accepted an Exemplary Employer Award from Governor Walke, on behalf of the fire department. The award was given in recognition of the department’s dedication to employing individuals with disabilities.
“Northern Wisconsin is absolutely vital to Wisconsin’s continued economic growth,” Deputy Secretary Maxwell said. “With a vibrant tourism industry and a robust manufacturing and service sector, these visits are designed to not only highlight existing partnerships but to get the word out about the programs and services DWD has to offer to workers and businesses across the state.”
The visits coincide with Governor Walker’s Northern Economic and Community Development Summit which was held Thursday at the Heartwood Conference Center and Retreat in Trego, WI. The summit brought dozens of officials from several state agencies to northern Wisconsin to provide information on the numerous programs that are available to help municipalities, community and economic development groups, workers, and employers to help fund important initiatives in the north, and help connect employers with highly skilled workers.
The Northern Wisconsin Economic and Community Development Summit features one-on-one discussions with cabinet secretaries and dynamic breakout sessions with state and local experts across numerous topics from workforce training, economic development funding, natural resources, broadband expansion and more. During the breakout sessions, DWD will highlight the Governor’s efforts to connect more Wisconsin employers with skilled college students through innovative internship programs. A key component of that initiative is DWD’s new website, WisConnect – Your Source for Wisconsin Internships. DWD officials will provide an overview of the initiative, explain the features of the website and provide detail on why Wisconsin employers should consider adding or expanding their internship programs.