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Sauk County Workforce-Education Resources
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Resources for Students
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"WORKnet" is Wisconsin's Workforce and Labor Market Information System. This exciting new interactive website is jam-packed with all kinds of useful information on the Wisconsin and Sauk County labor force. There are special sections targeted to job seekers, businesses, and economic developers. |
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Interview Protocol |
The interview is one of the most important components of your job search strategy. The purpose of the interview is, of course, to assess your skills, qualifications and personal style and determine if there is a good fit with organizational needs and requirements of the position you are seeking. It is up to you to make sure the interviewer sees you in the best possible light and to show why you are the best candidate for the position.
This is where research and careful preparation will really pay off. The more you know about the company and the position, the more you will be able to show how you can make a significant contribution. At the same time, the more confident you are about who you are and what you have to offer, the more effective you will be in showing how your particular combination of skills and experience matches the requirements and expectations of the position and the company.
Mock Interviews: The Sauk County Job Center has Mock Interview Workshops available. These are workshops held by local employers that will assist you with skills that are needed by today’s workforce Please contact the Sauk County job Center at 1-608-355-3140 for dates and times.
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Job Application Guidelines |
- Answer all questions on the application as completely as possible. An incomplete application will not be considered for employment.
- Applications received after the deadline will not be considered unless specific criteria as determined by the Personnel office.
- The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in subsequent phases of the hiring process. All applicants are evaluated only on job-related factors.
- References should be provided at the time of submitting an application and/or resume
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Employer Expectations - Sauk County Workforce Skills Survey Results |
High School students and graduates are a vital part of the Sauk County workforce. In order to ensure that their skills and knowledge sets meet the needs of local businesses and industries, the School District of Baraboo and the Sauk County UW-Extension office conducted a labor skills survey. This brochure highlights the results of the 2005 survey.
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Barriers to Future Employment |
Remember in today’s technology, there are several resources that your future employer can go to, to find the very best employee. Depending on what career path you are choosing to take, your past decisions may block you from taking that path. Below are examples of web sites that employers may use to screen applicants:
Access to the Public Records of the Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP)
This website (WCCA) provides access to certain public records of the circuit courts of Wisconsin. The information displayed is an exact copy of the case information entered into the Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP) case management system by court staff in the counties where the case files are located. The court record summaries viewed here are all public records under Wisconsin open records law. http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl
USIS provides a wide range of security solutions to its many government and commercial customers. The company is committed to being the leading provider of screening and security-based information and service solutions to its customers in the government, law enforcement and first responder, commercial, and litigation support markets.www.usis.com
eScreen offs a comprehensive library of products and software which automates and accelerates the hiring process for the employer, the donor, and the clinic. eScreen is revolutionalizing the drug testing industry with an electronic web-based network. www.escreen.com/products.html
FIDELITEC – Investigative Intelligence for Employers
Fidelitec provides risk mitigation and investigative services to organizations and the legal community. Fidelitec serves a broad range of businesses, not- for-profit organizations, school systems, law firms, accounting practices and investigative services.
http://www.fidelitec.com
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Importance of Critical Thinking Skills |
Raymond S. Nickerson (1987), an authority on critical thinking, characterizes a good critical thinker in terms of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and habitual ways of behaving. Here are some of the characteristics of such a thinker:
- uses evidence skillfully and impartially
- organizes thoughts and articulates them concisely and coherently
- distinguishers between logically valid and invalid inferences
- suspends judgment in the absence of sufficient evidence to support a decision
- understands the difference between reasoning and rationalizing
- attempts to anticipate the probable consequences of alternative actions
- understands the idea of degrees of belief
- sees similarities and analogies that are not superficially apparent
- can learn independently and has an abiding interest in doing so
- applies problem-solving techniques in domains other than those in which learned
- can structure informally represented problems in such a way that formal techniques, such as mathematics, can be used to solve them
- can strip a verbal argument of irrelevancies and phrase it in its essential terms
- habitually questions one's own views and attempts to understand both the assumptions that are critical to those views and the implications of the views
- is sensitive to the difference between the validity of a belief and the intensity with which it is held
- is aware of the fact that one's understanding is always limited, often much more so than would be apparent to one with a noninquiring attitude
- recognizes the fallibility of one's own opinions, the probability of bias in those opinions, and the danger of weighting evidence according to personal preferences
This list is, of course, incomplete, but it serves to indicate the type of thinking and approach to life that critical thinking is supposed to be. Similar descriptions of critical thinking attributes are available in the very extensive literature of critical thinking.
See, for example:
- Teaching Thinking Skills, 1987, edited by J. B. Baron and R. J. Steinberg
- Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking, 1985, edited by A. L. Costa
- The Teaching of Thinking, 1985, edited by R. S. Nickerson and others
- Critical Thinking, Fifth Edition, 1998, by B. N. Moore and Richard Parker
- Critical Thinking, Second edition, 1990, by John Chaffe. These books are representative of the genre.
See http://www.freeinquiry.com/critical-thinking.html for more information.
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WORKNET – Career Exploration |
Worknet is Wisconsin's on-line Workforce and Labor Market Information System. This exciting interactive website is jam-packed with all kinds of useful information on the Wisconsin and Sauk County labor force. This section drills down into Hot Jobs providing information on demand, skill sets, training requirements, and wages.
http://worknet.wisconsin.gov/worknet/homece.aspx?menuselection=ce
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WisCareers |
Wisconsin Careers is an easy to use comprehensive website that responds to the individual and encourages a self-directed and engaged approach to career development and job-seeking. Access to this site is available through all Sauk County high school counselors, the Sauk County Job Center, MATC Reedsburg, and UW Baraboo Sauk County. Examples of Assessments are Career Skills, Transferable Career Skills, Workplace Skills, and Interest Profiler. http://wiscareers.wisc.edu/Default.asp
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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) |
Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for education beyond high school. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
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Southern WI Association for Continuing Higher Education (SWACHE) |
SWACHE is composed of leading, accredited, southern Wisconsin educational institutions that have joined together to present informative and comprehensive Education Fairs for companies that promote continuing education opportunities for their employees. The Education Fair offers employees the opportunity to learn about member institutions and speak face-to-face with a representative from each school. http://www.swache.org/
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UW-Madison Continuing Studies Adult & Student Services |
Adult and Student Services Center (ASSC) offers information
about programs and services for nontraditional and
non-degree Special students, as well as local adults considering a
career change. Our office can assist you with the student
application and enrollment processes, educational workshops and
additional services for adult students. Through individual
appointments, assessments, and career workshops, the Adult and
Student Services Center can help you discover a path to more meaningful and satisfying career. http://www.dcs.wisc.edu/info
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Test Prep Review |
Your Source for free on-line practice tests, including GED, the Compass Test used by MATC for placement, ACT, SAT, and many, many more. http://testprepreview.com
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Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards – Dept. of Workforce Development |
Apprenticeship is a structured system of training designed to prepare individuals for skilled occupations. It combines on-the-job training under the supervision of experienced journey workers with related classroom instruction. Apprentices who successfully complete the prescribed number of hours of training in an apprenticeship program become certified skilled workers. A written agreement between the apprentice and the apprenticeship program is registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, Department of Workforce Development. http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/apprenticeship
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WI Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Career Clusters and Pathways |
Career Clusters are broad occupational groupings...an organizing tool defining education for post-secondary education and careers using 16 broad clusters of occupations and 79 pathways with validated standards that ensure opportunities for all students regardless of their career goals and interests. http://dpi.wi.gov/cte/careerclustershome.html
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Minimum High School Graduation Requirement for all Sauk County High Schools |
The minimum graduation requirements may not meet admission requirements for 2- or 4-year institutions. Please talk to your school counselor about courses that you will need to take to assure your recommendation and admission to the school of your choice.
Sauk County High School Graduation Requirements (PDF)
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MATC Smart Start – Clusters |
Career Clusters are 16 identified career areas that have related occupational groups that require common knowledge, skills, and talents. The clusters include hundreds of occupations and include information about suggested high school preparatory courses and MATC degrees and certificates that lead to these occupations.
MATC Smart Start – Clusters (PDF)
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MATC Admission Requirements |
Madison Area Technical College is open to all students who are capable of benefiting from instruction. Post-secondary programs are open to applicants who have graduated high school, who have passed high school equivalency tests, or mature applicants who, through work experience, can prove that they are capable of mastering the subject matter.
Depending on the program you are interested in applying for, admission requirements may vary and include additional testing assessments. So, be sure to review the admission and application procedures outlined by each program.
A student’s application is evaluated on the basis of a combination of high school and other transcripts, work experience, entrance examination results and an interview, if it is deemed necessary.
It is possible for students to be concurrently enrolled in high school and in classes offered by MATC. In all cases, high school students must have parent or guardian permission. Costs for those attending in lieu of high school, under the provisions of Section 118.15 of the Wisconsin Statutes, are charged in accordance with the law.
If you have additional questions, search our knowledge base of frequently asked Admissions questions available through Ask MATC or phone the Enrollment Center at (608) 246-6210.
http://matcmadison.edu/admissions-process
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MATC Admission Procedures |
For information on admission procedures for specific MATC program a few credit classes or adult and continuing education non-credit courses, go to:
http://matcmadison.edu/apply-nowregister
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UW Baraboo/Sauk County - Minimum Admission Requirements |
A student coming right out of high school:
- Have graduated from a recognized high school, have an HSED or GED, or present other evidence of ability to begin college work.
- Have a minimum of 17 college preparatory credits distributed as follows:
- English: 4 credits
- Mathematics: 3 credits (include 1 cr. Algebra; 1 cr. Geometry; 1 cr. Adv. Math)
- Natural Science: 3 credits
- Social Science: 3 credits
- Electives: 4 credits (select from areas above, foreign language, fine arts, computer science or other academic areas)
- Submit official American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores.
A returning adult student (anyone age 22 and older):
- Application
- Application fee
- High school transcripts or HSED/GED documentation.
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College Credit Opportunities |
UW Baraboo-Sauk County
The Associate of Arts & Science Degree
The Associate of Arts and Science degree is the foundation for many college majors and for the Bachelor's degree. The degree signals to employers that the degree holder has advanced skills in communication and critical thinking skills. These skills are paramount for success in today's workplace. The degree gives the recipients the foundation for acquiring new knowledge, which is vital to pursuing the Bachelor's degree and to adapting to change in the work environment. The Associate degree is confirmation of an important accomplishment on the road to a Bachelor's degree. UW schools that grant the Bachelor's degree consider UW Colleges students with the Associate of Arts and Science degree to have satisfied the university-wide general education breadth requirements. http://www.baraboo.uwc.edu/?pid=128
UW HELP (Higher Education Location Program)
This site contains information on the institutions in the University of Wisconsin System including 13 universities, 13 freshman-sophomore Colleges and UW-Extension. The information is provided for you and your family by the Higher Education Location Program (UW HELP) and all campuses of the UW System. http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/
Madison Area Technical College (MATC)
Madison Area Technical College will grant advanced standing based on demonstrated/documented college-level learning. Advanced standing is credit granted toward the completion of a particular degree/diploma. The total for all forms of advanced standing cannot exceed 75 percent of the credits required for graduation. http://matcmadison.edu/credit-prior-learning-advanced-standing
At MATC advanced standing may be obtained by the following methods:
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BS Degree Opportunities at UW Baraboo/Sauk Co. |
Students enrolled at UW-Baraboo/Sauk County may complete a bachelor’s degree through one of several collaborative degree programs with:
- UW-Milwaukee (Organization/Administration; Information Resources; Communications, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Political Science with a Law Emphasis)
- UW-Oshkosh (Leadership Development, Criminal Justice, Fire and Emergency Response Management, Human Services Leadership, Leadership and Organizational Studies, Liberal Studies, Organizational Administration)
- UW-Platteville (Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Project management, Engineering)
- UW-Superior (Elementary Education, Communications, Individualized, Organization Administration)
http://www.baraboo.uwc.edu/?pid=129
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UW Extension Parenting Resources |
Child & Family Web Guide from Tufts University
The WebGuide is a directory that evaluates, describes and provides links to hundreds of sites containing child development research and practical advice. Topics are selected on the basis of parent recommendations; they cover all ages, from early child development through adolescence. http://www.cfw.tufts.edu/
Children, Youth and Families Education and Research Network
CYFERnet's web site brings together the best, children, youth and family resources of the nation's leading universities. http://www.cyfernet.org
The Wonder Wise Parent from Kansas State University
The WonderWise Parent is a website for designed for parents, grandparents, foster parents, stepparents, caregivers, teachers, and parent educators on parenting and parent-child relationships. It includes free online courses on topics including responsive discipline, anger management, and building your child’s self-esteem.
http://www.k-state.edu/wwparent/wondhome.htm
Children in the Middle
Divorce of one’s parents is a major event in the life of a child. Children in the Middle Online ensures that the accompanying stress is minimized, the long-term psychological burden is eased, and the whole process is made more understandable and manageable for both children and adults. (Interactive Online Divorce Education Program for Parents ($45) http://divorce-education.com/online
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:
This resource is tailored specifically for grandparents raising young children (birth to age 8). The focus is on family relationships and child development rather than legal or financial issues. Topics include understanding children's behaviors, the importance of close relationships and open communication, and maintaining contact with parents. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/grandparent/relationships
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Wisconsin’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs |
In what will play a major role in Wisconsin's economic recovery, more than 426,000 "middle-skill" job openings -- those that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year degree -- are projected for the state by 2016, concludes a new study released today by The Workforce Alliance (TWA) and the Skills2Compete-Wisconsin campaign, of which of COWS is a lead partner.
The report, which tracks Wisconsin's jobs at the middle-skill level, notes that funds from federal economic recovery legislation, especially the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are expected to create more than one million new jobs across the country and that Wisconsin has a number of exemplary middle-skill education and training opportunities. These opportunities must continue to keep up with the anticipated demand for middle-skill workers.
Wisconsin's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs also assesses the current and future middle-skill employment and education patterns in the state.
Skills2Compete-Wisconsin believes every Wisconsinite should have access to education or training past high school -- leading to a technical college degree or diploma, occupational credential, industry certification, or one's first two years of college -- to be pursued at whatever point and pace makes sense for individual workers and industries.
Read Wisconsin's Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs
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Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin |
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, Inc. serves a six-county area to make positive economic change in the local area and beyond. It is a one-stop workforce development connection for businesses, workers and leaders in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties. They also work with people and organizations throughout the region to make our area a better place to work and do business.
Their role is to build bridges and forge partnerships that strengthen the workforce, they are driven to deliver solutions that work for businesses, workers and communities. WDBSCW support the global economy yet retain a quality of life that forms the foundation of an area in which profitable businesses want to locate and skilled workers want to live. Through strategic partnerships, they strive to deliver best-in-class programs combined with cutting edge solutions that deliver success.
http://www.wdbscw.org/
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South Central WI Job Centers, Come Here First |
South Central WI Job Centers are central locations for people looking for employment and businesses that need help finding qualified applicants.
We are a partnership of government agencies and community-based organizations with a common goal: to make our communities a better place to live by improving job opportunities through economic support, training and education.
With service in Baraboo, Madison, Jefferson, Wisconsin and in other locations by appointment, there is always a Job Center in your area
http://comeherefirst.org/
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Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, Inc. serves a six-county area to make positive economic change in the local area and beyond. It is a one-stop workforce development connection for businesses, workers and leaders in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties. They also work with people and organizations throughout the region to make our area a better place to work and do business.
Their role is to build bridges and forge partnerships that strengthen the workforce, they are driven to deliver solutions that work for businesses, workers and communities. WDBSCW support the global economy yet retain a quality of life that forms the foundation of an area in which profitable businesses want to locate and skilled workers want to live. Through strategic partnerships, they strive to deliver best-in-class programs combined with cutting edge solutions that deliver success.
http://www.wdbscw.org/
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Mapping Green Career Pathways: Job Training Infrastructure and Opportunities in Wisconsin |
Mapping Green Career Pathways: Job Training Infrastructure and Opportunities in Wisconsin outlines key components of the state’s workforce development systems - including but not limited to apprenticeship and technical college pathways - that could be aligned and expanded to support an emerging clean energy sector. The report was prepared by the Apollo Alliance and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) and released in February, 2010.
http://www.cows.org/pdf/rp-mappingreportWI.pdf
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