Gener8tor Skills Accelerator might be the best-kept secret for job seekers looking to get hired in some of the most in-demand fields in southeastern Wisconsin.
The next cohort training program kicks off on Monday, January 22nd and you still have time to apply. You can expect one-on-one job placement support for careers that are hot right now, like project management. Best of all — this training is free.
"I mean, it's working out great — it honestly is," said Justin Howell, with a huge grin. Howell is a recent graduate of the Gener8tor Skills Accelerator
Joe Kirgues, is the co-founder of Gener8tor.
"It's been a thrill and a privilege," he said.
During the height of the COVID-19 public health crisis, Kirgues and his team began exploring how their start-up accelerator could adapt to help people who were struggling to find work.
"For a company like Gener8tor, which had been only doing startup work for 9 years, to think about what it would mean to run an accelerator for a totally different audience — it was something we were really excited about, and a little intimidated by, but then we got a chance to meet the first cohort of people," he explained.
Since 2020, Gener8tor has hosted over 30 cohorts and graduated over 1,800 people. The program is designed to be virtual and flexible.
"We're seeing that, of the graduates who come in unemployed, we're seeing about 60% get a job," added Kirgues. He said others have secured raises or successfully moved from part-time to full-time roles.
"For me, quite frankly, I was out of the work environment for quite some time because I was running my own business," chimed in Howell. "So I didn't have the resume that a lot of people might have."
The program follows two tracks — helping develop industry-specific skills, which equals about 20 hours per week of learning. Students can also work with coaches who help them polish their resumes and prepare for interviews.
"It was a smooth transition and I was just so grateful to have that life coach with me the whole time," said Howell. "Just encouraging me to keep going when I wanted to quit."
Thanks to a partnership with Wisconsin's Worker Connection Program there is zero out-of-pocket cost.
If you're interested in applying, click here.
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