In order to create a resource that is valuable to our employers, educators and students, there are a number of factors that need balancing.
- Targeting the right industries for employer participation
- Recruiting employers in close proximity to our education partners
- Partnering with the right number of schools and community-based organizations
- Ensuring that all 16 career clusters have adequate employer participation so that all students will find information relevant to their interests
- Recruiting career coaches for high-demand areas of student interest and regional industry need
- Recruiting minority-owned companies and career coaches from diverse backgrounds
Several organizations are working together to make sure that this happens. Those organizations include: Dane County School Consortium, Jefferson County School to Work Consortium, participating school districts throughout the seven-county region, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, Madison Region Economic Partnership and regional chambers of commerce among others.
When it comes to categorizing businesses and careers, employers tend to look at industries while educators tend to look at the 16 Career Clusters used in Wisconsin schools. Below you’ll find some data about the implementation that will help you understand how this is playing out:
8 Targeted Industries:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Agriculture
- Biotech/Life Sciences
- Construction Trades
- Utilities
- Information Technology
- Health Care
- F.I.R.E. (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate)
Top 8 industries represented by employer participation in Inspire Madison Region:
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
- Education Services
- Construction
- Utilities
- Manufacturing
- Other services (Except Public Administration)
- Health Care and Social Assistance
- Finance and Insurance
If you’d like to help us connect with employers in the eight targeted industries please contact us!
In addition to industries, we are also working to make sure that all 16 Career Clusters are covered adequately so that all students can find information and opportunities. While we’ve got at least one employer from each cluster, that is not nearly enough. As we continue to recruit new employers and career coaches, we’re working with all of our partners to make sure we get adequate representation in all of the clusters. If you’d like to help us connect with employers in under-represented career clusters, please contact us!
| Career Cluster | Number of Employers | Percentage of Total |
| Business Management & Administration | 32 | 13.62 |
| Marketing | 29 | 12.34 |
| Information Technology | 24 | 10.21 |
| Architecture & Construction | 22 | 9.36 |
| Manufacturing | 21 | 8.94 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering & Math | 21 | 8.94 |
| Transportation, Distribution & Logistics | 16 | 6.81 |
| Finance | 14 | 5.96 |
| Arts, A/V Technology & Communications | 13 | 5.53 |
| Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources | 11 | 4.68 |
| Health Science | 10 | 4.26 |
| Education & Training | 8 | 3.4 |
| Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security | 7 | 2.98 |
| Human Services | 5 | 2.13 |
| Hospitality & Tourism | 1 | 0.43 |
| Government & Public Administration | 1 | 0.43 |
We also need to make sure that there are enough career coaches in each Career Cluster. Here are the numbers of Online Career Coaches that we have to date per Career Cluster:
| Career Cluster | Number of Coaches | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Business Management & Administration | 27 | 29.67 |
| Marketing | 10 | 10.99 |
| Education & Training | 7 | 7.69 |
| Human Services | 7 | 7.69 |
| Arts, A/V Technology & Communications | 6 | 6.59 |
| Architecture & Construction | 5 | 5.49 |
| Science, Technology, Engineering & Math | 5 | 5.49 |
| Information Technology | 5 | 5.49 |
| Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security | 4 | 4.4 |
| Health Science | 4 | 4.4 |
| Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources | 4 | 4.4 |
| Government & Public Administration | 3 | 3.3 |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 3.3 |
| Hospitality & Tourism | 1 | 1.1 |
| Finance | 0 | 0 |
| Transportation, Distribution & Logistics | 0 | 0 |
We’re looking for feedback from educators about which Career Clusters they feel need more career coaches for their students. Contact us to let us know your ideas on that topic!