Southwest Transitional Employment Program (STEP)
Connecting Southwest Madison Residents to Tangible Jobs
South West Transitional Employment Program (STEP) was created specifically for those who are struggling to find a job because they are inhibited by systemic barriers, such as previous justice involvement, or logistical barriers, such as a gap in job history or a lack of employment references. STEP seeks to mitigate these barriers by providing a short-term paid employment opportunity, where individuals can earn a living wage while working a temporary position to gather work history, build connections, and possibly gain a work reference based on the individual’s demonstrated performance.
Individualized Support and Tailored Skill Development
STEP is designed to efficiently connect motivated neighbors to a short-term paid employment opportunity and individualized support. Common Wealth staff provide individualized case management to each participant to support long-term skill development, knowledge retention, and building towards long-term employment goals beyond the temporary position.
Participants complete the WorkUp! Academy training to support their development before heading into a position through STEP.
Eligible participants are hired by Common Wealth Development and paid a living wage while working temporary STEP positions designed specifically with the participants’ employment goals in mind.
Concurrently, Common Wealth provides case management to each participant based on their own goals, experiences, and skills. This casework includes resume development, weekly tailored job leads, and connection to area employers that have partnered with our efforts.
Benefits of participating in this program include the opportunity to earn money while working at a STEP placement, add more work history to address potential resume gaps, utilize individualized connections to volunteer sites, and potentially gain a work reference based on the individual’s demonstrated performance.
For more information, contact Adult Workforce Development Manager Kari Alston
at kari@cwd.org or (608) 516-5332.
A STEP Success Story
One of our recent success stories features Christine (name changed to protect her privacy), who had a significant break in her employment history due to personal reasons. She believed she couldn’t interview for certain roles because of her limited work experience. Kari, our Adult Workforce Development Manager, helped Christine create an employment plan, connected her with the UW writing lab to develop a new resume, and supported her in attending custom interview coaching with American Family Insurance. Our team then worked with her to recognize and articulate her existing skills and find a STEP position she was passionate about. While working in that temporary role, she was offered a full-time position. Christine now feels deeply grateful for everyone’s encouragement and belief in her!