What Employ Milwaukee does

Employ Milwaukee, Inc. is a private nonprofit organization and the federally designated Workforce Development Board for Milwaukee County, operating under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Founded in 1984 and headquartered at 1322 N. 8th Street, Milwaukee, the organization coordinates a comprehensive portfolio of free employment and training services for job seekers spanning youth (ages 10–24), adults, dislocated workers, returning citizens, refugees, and older workers (55+), alongside employer-facing talent solutions. Its program portfolio includes adult-focused offerings such as BankWork$, MediWork$, Milwaukee Equitable Nursing Development (MEND), Skills to Build, Serve MKE, FORWD, Registered Apprenticeship, and BioHealth Tech Hub; youth offerings including YouthBuild, Youth Apprenticeship, Earn & Learn, Camp RISE, Building Futures, and Growth Opportunities; and employer services branded as Business Solutions and First Source Hiring Events.

The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-mediated through a Coordinating Council of 40+ member service providers (MATC, Goodwill, Job Corps, WRTP/Big Step, Equus, UNCOM, Dynamic Workforce Solutions, SDC, and others) and five Industry Advisory Boards in Construction, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Hospitality, and Finance. Service delivery occurs through walk-in office access, customized hiring events (Fair Chance Thursday, First Source Hiring Events), and partner referrals, with on-the-job training subsidized up to 75% of wages for participating employers.

Employ Milwaukee's business model is grant-funded rather than transaction-based: all services to job seekers are free, and the organization is sustained by federal grants (WIOA Title IB, DOL YouthBuild), Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development pass-throughs, and corporate/foundation sponsorships. Recent strategic actions include a December 2024 $1.5M DOL YouthBuild award, a 2025 office relocation to a new training center, program expansion into healthcare (MediWork$, BioHealth Tech Hub), and operational scaling — the organization reports being on track to more than double hiring events, engaged employers, and interviewed job seekers year-over-year.

Name

Employ Milwaukee

Legal name

Employ Milwaukee, Inc.

Website

https://employmilwaukee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Employment training programs
• Apprenticeship placement
• WIOA job seeker programs
• Employer talent solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Grants: Primary funding from U.S. Department of Labor YouthBuild program and other federal workforce development grants. In December 2024, received $1.5 million federal grant from DOL YouthBuild program to expand apprenticeship, construction, and health care training programs.
2. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Funding: WIOA Title IB funds distributed to service providers for adult, dislocated worker, and youth workforce development programs.
3. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for new training center and office building including exterior signs, community mural, and classroom naming slots.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Employ Milwaukee operates as Milwaukee County's designated workforce development board under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), providing free career exploration, job readiness training, apprenticeships, and paid work experience to job seekers, while delivering recruitment, pre-screening, customized hiring events, and On-The-Job Training wage subsidies to employers. Services span adult programs (e.g., BankWork$, MediWork$, MEND), youth programs (e.g., YouthBuild, Youth Apprenticeship, Earn & Learn), and reentry/refugee/older worker supports, coordinated through a 40+ member provider network.

Product overview

Employ Milwaukee is Milwaukee County's workforce development board providing a comprehensive portfolio of workforce development programs and services. The organization operates on a multi-program platform model, offering adult programs (including BankWork$, MediWork$, MEND, Skills to Build, WISE, FORWD, Registered Apprenticeship, and Serve MKE), youth programs (including Youth Apprenticeship, YouthBuild, Earn & Learn, Camp RISE, Building Futures, Growth Opportunities, and WIOA Opportunity Youth), and business services (Business Solutions and First Source Hiring Events). These programs serve job seekers ranging from youth (ages 10+) to adults and older workers, as well as employers seeking workforce solutions. The WIOA framework underpins many programs, while specific initiatives target healthcare, banking, construction, hospitality, and other industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs
• BankWork$
• BioHealth Tech Hub
• FORWD (Fostering Opportunities for Reentry with Dignity)
• MediWork$
• Milwaukee Equitable Nursing Development (MEND)
• Older Workers (WISE)
• Registered Apprenticeship
• Serve MKE
• Skills to Build
• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
• Building Futures High School Youth
• Earn & Learn Summer Youth Employment
• Earn & Learn Camp RISE
• Growth Opportunities
• WIOA Opportunity Youth
• YouthBuild
• Youth Apprenticeship
• Business Solutions
• First Source Hiring Events
• Reentry Services
• Refugee and Immigrant Workforce Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 employers actively hiring through Business Solutions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• African American Chamber of Commerce of WIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Employ Milwaukee's 40+ member Coordinating Council, an association of local workforce system service providers focused on improving employer access to skilled workers.
• Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey education partner providing training pathways and college credits for workforce programs including welding, biohealth technology, and construction trades. Collaborates on Youth Apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs.
• Social Development Commission (SDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing workforce services and hosting First Source Hiring Events. Co-develops programs like Absolute Advantage pre-apprenticeship with Employ Milwaukee.
• Associated General Contractors of Greater MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry Advisory Board Chair for Construction sector; represents employers and drives alignment of talent sourcing with construction industry workforce needs.
• Vector TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident David Mitchell serves as Industry Advisory Board Chair for Manufacturing sector, driving workforce development strategies for manufacturing employers.
• Children's Hospital of WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVP of Human Resources Tom Shanahan serves as Healthcare Industry Advisory Board Chair, aligning healthcare training programs with employer needs.
• Marcus HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of Talent Acquisition Matt Martin serves as Hospitality Industry Advisory Board Chair; partner for Earn & Learn summer hospitality internships.
• Ironwood DrivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaging Partner Michael Sheppard serves as Finance Industry Advisory Board Chair, driving financial services workforce development.
• Dynamic Workforce SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIOA Title IB Service Provider delivering Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Out of School Youth programs under contract with Employ Milwaukee.
• EquuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIOA Title IB Service Provider delivering Adult and Dislocated Worker programs; Coordinating Council member.
• UNCOM (United Neighborhood Center of Milwaukee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIOA Title IB Service Provider delivering In School and Out of School Youth programs; Coordinating Council member.
• Waukesha CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional One Stop Operator serving broader workforce development area; provides access to services across Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.
• Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper MichigansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated Afghan refugee settlement; collaborated with Employ Milwaukee to connect refugees with workforce training and employment opportunities.
• Manpower GroupsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandled temp-to-permanent hiring for Husco and identified transportation options for refugee workers commuting from Milwaukee to Waukesha.
• MaximussupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdentified Employ Milwaukee's Skillful Transitions (WAI) grant as resource for Husco's new hires, including On-The-Job Training funds and transportation support.
• Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/Big Step (WRTP/BIGSTEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating Council member and partner providing TradeSmart MC3 multi-craft construction training; hosts National Apprenticeship Week events.
• City of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergovernmental Cooperation Council member; collaborates on Youth Career Exploration, Hello Summer initiatives, and community workforce initiatives.
• Milwaukee Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Camp RISE program for youth career exploration; provides access to students for Youth Apprenticeship and Earn & Learn programs.
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner including Division of Employment and Training and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation; key funder and policy partner for workforce programs.
• Goodwill Industries of S.E. WisconsinsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating Council member providing workforce development services and employment support.
• Milwaukee Job Corps CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinating Council member providing job corps training and placement services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing skills training and corporate internships for opportunity youth; closely comparable mission and outcome-based employer placement model.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology and IT training with employer-driven curricula and placement support; comparable in its training-plus-placement model serving underemployed adults.
• Philadelphia Works: Philadelphia's WIOA-designated workforce development board providing adult, dislocated worker, and youth services with a comparable Coordinating Council-style provider network.
• EmployIndy: Designated workforce development board for Indianapolis/Marion County under WIOA, operating sector-based career pathways and employer-facing business solutions analogous to Employ Milwaukee's model.
• Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership: Cook County's WIOA-designated workforce development board; runs a comparable delegate model with multiple service providers, sector-focused industry centers, and youth apprenticeship programs in a major U.S. metro.
• San Diego Workforce Partnership: San Diego County's WDB, operating sector-based career centers and youth programs with similar funding sources (WIOA, DOL grants) and employer-engagement structure to Employ Milwaukee.
• NPower: Nonprofit workforce development organization focused on tech training and job placement for veterans and underrepresented young adults, operating a similar sector-specialized training-plus-placement model.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwill Industries International: Large national nonprofit providing workforce development, training, and placement services including reentry support; broad-based incumbent that overlaps with Employ Milwaukee's services and Coordinating Council membership.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions firm that partners with Employ Milwaukee on temp-to-permanent placements and refugee workforce support; overlaps in employer-facing talent services but at much larger scale and for-profit.

Regional players

• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: State-level agency overseeing workforce policy, apprenticeship registration, and funding pass-through; partners with Employ Milwaukee as the state counterpart that funds and regulates WDB activity in Wisconsin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EmployMilwaukee
• Facebookfacebook.com/EmployMilwaukee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/employmilwaukee
• Instagraminstagram.com/employmilwaukee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Employ Milwaukee