Our region is known for its highly skilled workforce and wide range of opportunities—from entry-level positions to technical roles in thriving sectors like health care, aerospace, and AI. Yet despite this diversity of opportunities, many residents are struggling to get a foothold while employers struggle to find trained, prepared workers. The problem isn’t a shortage of motivated individuals—it’s a fragmented system that treats skills training, barrier removal, and employer engagement as separate challenges rather than interconnected solutions.
That’s where the Workforce Innovation Skills Hub (WISH) comes in. Located in the heart of Hybla Valley, one of the most underserved areas of our region, WISH has partnered with Melwood Community Services to braid together technical training, professional development, barrier removal, and employer engagement, redefining the workforce development system and creating pathways to opportunities for both employers and employees. Currently offering classes in construction training, construction math (which is applied during Building Paths projects), adult/teen carpentry and welding, basic computer training, English as a second language, and cybersecurity training—with an entrepreneurship program launching soon—WISH provides comprehensive training that meets the diverse needs of our regional economy.
Building a skilled workforce
While many training programs focus on either technical skills or soft skills, Melwood Community Services has brought its proven dual-approach model to WISH, ensuring participants receive both. Participants can access entry-level coursework in the building and construction trades, earning industry-recognized certifications and gaining real-world experience. Life skills—such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving—are woven throughout the technical training, ensuring graduates are not only qualified on paper but prepared to contribute meaningfully from day one.
Bridging the gap between training and employment
WISH provides active support with resume building, interview preparation, and job placement assistance.
Rather than expecting participants to navigate multiple agencies and offices to address challenges like transportation, childcare, or housing, Melwood brings these essential services directly to participants at WISH. This approach (barrier removal by helping participants navigate an overwhelming pool of resources) solves interconnected problems, allowing participants to focus their energy on training and skill development while improving program completion rates and long-term employment success.
Connecting employers to talent
What sets WISH apart is its close relationships with local employers.
In May 2024, AWS hosted its Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Certificate Course at the WISH Center, training participants on fiber optic installation and repair. Graduates earned certifications and took part in career networking sessions with local employers.
Similarly, Inova Health System partnered with WISH to offer a four-week workforce development course, with four people receiving direct job offers.
These partnerships demonstrate the value of a demand-driven model, where employers help shape training programs and then hire directly from the pool of graduates.
The integrated approach pioneered at WISH—bringing together the technical training, professional development, barrier removal, and employer engagement—represents the future of effective workforce development, one that transforms lives while strengthening regional economic competitiveness.
