Bucks tap SkillSmart job-matching tool for arena workforce development
Published by Rich Kirchen of Milwaukee Business Journal
The Milwaukee Bucks, which is committed to the hiring of Milwaukee city and county residents for arena construction and the new arena district, contracted with SkillSmart of Germantown, Md., to create a pipeline of qualified workers and help prospective employees gain skills they will need for future employment.
As part of the Bucks development agreement with the city, the team’s owners pledged to partner with the city and county on workforce development initiatives. The Bucks also committed to meeting the city’s requirement of hiring 40 percent of trade workers who are city residents for arena construction.
The Bucks and the city of Milwaukee will host a series of town hall meetings throughout the city to introduce prospective job seekers to the SkillSmart platform. The first event is slated for Thursday, Dec. 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St. Dates and locations for additional town hall meetings will become available in the coming weeks.
The SkillSmart site breaks down available positions in terms of necessary skills and prerequisites, while inviting job seekers to build a personal profile based around their work experience, training and qualifications. The tool provides job seekers with scores for each available position based upon how well their skill set and qualifications align with a job.
SkillSmart also provides resources to potential employees on additional training to become stronger candidates for available positions. SkillSmart’s algorithm can calculate how closely an applicant’s skills align with overall employer need. If job seekers do not have the necessary skills for a job they want, SkillSmart will provide suggestions for training opportunities, according to a November report from JPMorgan Chase.
