Waukesha, WI – The Waukesha County Business Alliance announced today that it will create the Waukesha County Business Alliance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established as an extension of the Alliance’s ongoing work to connect K-12 students with career opportunities and strengthen the future talent pipeline in Waukesha County.
The Foundation will provide an additional avenue for philanthropic support and investment in the Alliance’s student-focused workforce initiatives. The Alliance will continue to lead and deliver these programs, while the Foundation will help generate additional funding and resources to expand the reach and impact.
Workforce challenges have consistently ranked among the top concerns facing businesses across the region. Through conversations with its members and business community, the Alliance recognizes the need for continued awareness and opportunities to connect students to in demand careers.
The Foundation will provide additional resources and support to expand the Alliance’s student-focused programming, with an emphasis on introducing K-12 students to careers in high-demand industries and connecting them with local employers and career pathways.
For 15 years, the Alliance has partnered with its member businesses and school partners to help lead this work. The demand for these programs continues to grow, and the Alliance has served more than 3,000 students in each of the last two school years through its programming.
Current Alliance programs that will be supported through the Foundation include:
– Schools2SkillsTM, which connects students with local businesses and exposes them to career opportunities through hands-on experiences and interaction with industry professionals.
– Experience the Trades Expo, which gives students an opportunity to explore careers in the skilled trades and learn directly from employers about the pathways available in these industries.
– Discover Health Care Expo, which introduces students to the wide range of careers available in the health care field through interactive experiences and connections with local health care employers.
The Foundation will also allow the Alliance to develop and expand programming in response to evolving workforce needs. New offerings are already being explored for 2027, including opportunities to help address the growing demand for engineers.
“Building a strong talent pipeline doesn’t happen overnight,” said Amanda Payne, Waukesha County Business Alliance President & CEO. “It starts by helping students understand the opportunities that exist, giving them meaningful exposure to careers and connecting them with the businesses that need their talents. The Foundation gives us another avenue to grow this work and reach more students.”
The Waukesha County Business Alliance Foundation will work in partnership with businesses, schools, educators and community organizations to expand career exploration opportunities and help students see a future for themselves in the region’s workforce.
“Waukesha County is home to innovative businesses and tremendous career opportunities across a wide range of industries,” Payne said. “Our goal is to make sure students know about those opportunities early, have the chance to experience them and can envision a career here. By investing in students today, we are helping strengthen the workforce our businesses will need tomorrow.”
The Alliance plans to officially launch the Foundation in the new year. More information about the Waukesha County Business Alliance Foundation and opportunities to support its work will be available at www.waukesha.org.
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About the Waukesha County Business Alliance
Waukesha County Business Alliance is a countywide chamber of commerce with over 1,200 member companies, representing 120,000+ employees. The mission of the Alliance is to drive economic growth in Waukesha County. We work to strengthen the economy in the county by advocating on behalf of the business community, developing organizations and their employees, building relationships built on integrity and trust, and growing the business community to keep our economy moving forward. Learn more: www.waukesha.org
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