Workforce Investment Solutions

What Workforce Investment Solutions does

Workforce Investment Solutions (WIS) is a federally-designated workforce development organization operating as the One-Stop Operator for Local Workforce Investment Board 19 (LWIB-19), serving Macon and DeWitt Counties in Illinois from its headquarters at 757 W Pershing Rd, Decatur. Founded in 2022 and led by Executive Director Rocki Wilkerson, WIS delivers a consolidated suite of employment and training services to two distinct customer segments: job seekers (including youth, adults, dislocated workers, and individuals facing employment barriers) and local employers across manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, logistics, and trades. Core service offerings include career planning, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship coordination (notably with IBEW Local 146 and Bodine), CNA Bridge, Bridges to Careers, GED support, On-The-Job Training with up to 50% employer wage reimbursement, incumbent worker training, customized recruitment, and rapid response to mass layoff events. The organization also operates an American Job Center resource room with computer lab and career guidance facilities.

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: WIS leverages the statewide Illinois WorkNet platform and the Illinois Job Link database for job matching and case management, with no evidence of custom software development, API offerings, or AI tooling. Service delivery is anchored in physical location, community partnerships, and human-staffed career planning, rather than digital platforms.

The business model is non-commercial. WIS provides all services at no charge to job seekers and employers, operating as a federally-funded pass-through entity. Revenue is sourced entirely from federal and state workforce development grants, including Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allocations for Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker programs (PY2022: $1,226,142; PY2023: $1,415,955), the Illinois Works Program ($949,832), JTED grants ($575,000), QUEST Dislocated Worker grants ($682,806), and Statewide Rapid Response grants ($268,913). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: hiring events, career fairs, Workforce Wednesday media segments on WAND TV (47+ episodes), and direct employer engagement in partnership with educational institutions and local government.

Name

Workforce Investment Solutions

Legal name

Workforce Investment Solutions

Website

https://worknetdecatur.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Workforce Investment Solutions is a federally-designated One-Stop workforce development organization serving job seekers and employers across Macon and DeWitt Counties, Illinois. It delivers free employment, training, apprenticeship, and rapid-response services funded through WIOA and state workforce grants.

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 (6115), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dislocated Worker & Rapid Response / Reemployment Programs (EDAAAOAF), Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job training programs
• Employment recruitment services
• Career guidance counseling
• Apprenticeship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Workforce Development Funding: Organization operates as a federally-funded workforce development initiative (LWIA 19 - Macon & DeWitt Counties). Services are provided at no charge to job seekers and employers, funded through multiple federal grants including WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) allocations for Adult, Youth, and Dislocated Worker programs, as well as Illinois Works Program grants, JTED (Job Training & Economic Development) grants, and Rapid Response grants. Funding amounts reported include PY2022 ($1,226,142), PY2023 ($1,415,955), Illinois Works ($949,831.55), JTED ($575,000), QUEST ($682,806), and Statewide Rapid Response ($268,912.55).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Workforce Investment Solutions operates as a federally-funded One-Stop workforce development organization that provides free employment services, job training programs, and recruitment assistance to job seekers and employers in Macon and DeWitt Counties, Illinois. Core offerings include career planning, pre-apprenticeship and CNA bridge training, on-the-job training wage reimbursements for employers, customized recruitment, incumbent worker training, and rapid response services for businesses facing layoffs. All services are delivered at no charge through federal and state workforce grants including WIOA, Illinois Works, JTED, QUEST, and Rapid Response funding.

Product overview

Workforce Investment Solutions is a workforce development organization operating as part of the Illinois WorkNet Center network, providing a comprehensive suite of employment and training services to job seekers and employers in Macon and DeWitt Counties, Illinois. The organization offers a unified service delivery model rather than a modular software platform, combining career planning, job search assistance, training programs (including pre-apprenticeship, CNA bridge, healthcare, logistics, and childcare careers), employer services (on-the-job training with up to 50% wage reimbursement, recruitment services, incumbent worker training), and a resource room with computer access. All services are provided at no charge to participants through federal funding support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workforce Application Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Services provided at no cost to job seekers through federal funding
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Memorial HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2023Healthcare partner participating in Healthcare Day event with ~180 high school students. Ashley Damery represented Memorial to promote pharmacology and clinical labs programs.
• HSHS (Hospital Sisters Health System)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 April 2023Healthcare partner in collaborative Healthcare Day event introducing students to healthcare career opportunities.
• Richland Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner hosting career fairs, GED info sessions, healthcare day events, and classroom space for CNA bridge programs. Approximately 180+ students attended collaborative healthcare career events. Joint Bridges to Careers classes in healthcare, hospitality, childcare, and manufacturing.
• Habitat for HumanitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to renovate donated homes in Decatur while providing high school students construction skills training. Students receive paid training through WIS Youth to Career Pathways program. Community Foundation of Macon County funds instructor wages.
• Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing job matching, resume creation tools, career management resources, veteran employment services, and labor market statistics. Co-located at One-Stop Center for integrated service delivery.
• ADMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Decatur employer hosting exclusive job fair for 161 laid-off Akorn employees at WIS location. 17 received immediate job offers, 40 scheduled phone interviews. WIS facilitated rapid response to mass layoff situation.
• Community Foundation of Macon CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided over $60,000 in CommunityWorks funding to support childcare classes and programs for DPS students. Funds instructor wages for Habitat for Humanity construction training program. Supports WIS participant scholarships.
• Crossing HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partner collaborating with WIS and Richland CC on workforce development initiatives. Featured in Workforce Wednesday segment highlighting partnership services.
• Decatur Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for youth programs including high school senior hiring events (120+ students), pre-apprenticeship programs, and Habitat for Humanity construction training at MacArthur High School.
• Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development partner collaborating on high school senior hiring events and general workforce development initiatives for the Decatur community.
• Greater Decatur Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partner collaborating on high school senior hiring events and business engagement initiatives.
• Illinois Department of Human Services - Rehabilitation ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDHS division partner providing job training and placement services for persons with disabilities. Adam Flack serves as Administrator. Part of One-Stop partner network.
• BodineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDecatur employer that hired WIS pre-apprenticeship program graduates Andrea Kelly and Jakivin Jenkins as electricians. Provided eight weeks of work experience placement before hiring.
• IMEC (Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing excellence partner in Business Service Team network. Rob Newbold serves as Regional Manager. Helps connect employers with workforce solutions.
• Millikin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner hosting healthcare career events and providing career planning support. SCORE Decatur housed at Millikin. RJ Podeschi serves as Dean of Center for Entrepreneurship.
• City of Decatur Economic Development PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity economic development partner in Business Service Team. Tim Dudley leads Development & Revitalization. Supports workforce initiatives and donated homes to Habitat for Humanity partnership.
• IBEW Local 146minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union local where WIS pre-apprenticeship graduates Andrea Kelly and Jakivin Jenkins were inducted as electricians.
• Illinois WorkNet CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide workforce development network brand under which WIS operates as designated One-Stop Center for Macon and DeWitt Counties. Provides platform for job listings and career resources.
• Decatur Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing partner assisting with recruiting events and providing services to residents seeking employment and self-sufficiency.
• Community Action Partnership Central IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity services partner providing resume writing, job skills training, financial literacy, home ownership counseling, and scholarships for GED, trade school, and post-secondary education.
• Illinois Department of Human Services - TANFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTANF program partner helping customers achieve self-sufficiency through integrated family-oriented services and employment support.
• National ABLEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployment assistance partner for individuals 55+ meeting low-income guidelines, providing placement and job search help for unemployed or underemployed persons.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership: Largest LWIA in Illinois, operating a comparable One-Stop model serving job seekers and employers in Cook County. It mirrors WIS's structure as a federally-funded workforce development organization with employer services, training programs, and rapid response, but at significantly larger urban scale.
• Employ Milwaukee: Wisconsin's local workforce development board serving Milwaukee County with employer-driven job training, sector partnerships, and rapid response services. Comparable to WIS as a publicly-funded, designated workforce operator offering employer reimbursements (OJT/Incumbent Worker), sector-focused training, and WIOA-funded career navigation.
• Workforce Solutions for North Texas: Workforce Development Board serving North Central Texas with employer services, job seeker training, and WIOA-funded programs. Comparable to WIS as a regional WIOA administrator offering OJT wage reimbursement, sector training, and rapid response — though operating across a larger multi-county footprint.
• CareerSource Florida: Statewide network of Florida's local workforce development boards delivering WIOA-funded career services, employer recruiting, and training programs through regional One-Stop centers. Directly comparable to WIS's service delivery model under federal workforce funding, just at multi-region scale.
• San Diego Workforce Partnership: California's local workforce development board operating America's Job Center of California equivalent, providing employer recruitment, training scholarships, and sector partnerships. Comparable to WIS in mission, funding model, and One-Stop designation but operating in a much larger metro market.

Emerging players

• Year Up: National nonprofit workforce development organization focused on young adults providing skills training, corporate internships, and job placement. Comparable to WIS in mission of connecting underemployed job seekers with employer demand and providing wraparound supports, though operating at a much larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• ResCare / BrightSpring Health Services: Provider of workforce and vocational rehabilitation services including job training, placement, and community-based employment supports. Comparable to WIS in serving individuals with barriers to employment through government-funded programs, though at far larger national scale across multiple service lines.
• Robert Half International: Specialized staffing and workforce solutions provider with placement, consulting, and talent advisory services. Comparable to WIS in the job matching and employer-services space, but operates commercially rather than as a federally-funded One-Stop operator.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce solutions company offering permanent placement, temp staffing, and upskilling/reskilling programs. Comparable to WIS at the broad employment services category level, though ManpowerGroup operates as a commercial, fee-for-service model versus WIS's grant-funded nonprofit delivery.
• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit operating workforce development and job training programs across thousands of locations, including for individuals with barriers to employment. Comparable to WIS in delivering subsidized training and employment placement services funded through federal workforce dollars and employer partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/workforceinvestment
• Xx.com/WISMaconDeWitt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/workforce-investmentsolutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Workforce Investment Solutions