Obstacles exist in Dane County that prevent individuals in underserved communities from becoming successful at local businesses. 

Director of Continuing Education at Madison College, Dennis Wessel has a vison to surmount these obstacles, and this vision has received attention from Gov. Tony Evers.  

In December of 2021, Evers awarded Madison College nearly $3 million in the form of a grant to develop Wisconsin’s workforce challenges. The grant is largely being used to bolster childcare. 

However, a portion has gone to Wessel to develop his plan. Though the grant money will not be enough to put Wessels’ vison into practice, it will allow him to work towards a proof of concept or a demonstration that the program will work as planned.  

Wessel hopes to create relationships with community-based organizations for the sake of recruiting potential employees who are primarily disadvantaged, poor people of color. 

The vision also includes partnering with employers in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors. Madison College’s role will be to remove barriers between the two via short-term and targeted training.  

Barriers to success often include cost of education, length of educational programs, lack of childcare, needing to work for means of support and thus lacking the time to take classes, negative past educational experiences and lacking basic skills.  

Wessel will be using the grant money to conceive of ways Madison College can address these issues for targeted individuals.  

If successful, Wessel will be creating a funnel between community-based organizations and employers with Madison College as the Nexus. 

The program will be funded potentially by other grant dollars, employers, and community-based organizations.  

“I am very optimistic that we can make a difference,” said Wessel.