The Joseph Project, an initiative that provides job training and transportation to work for Milwaukee residents, received a donated van from several Waukesha County businesses on Monday, helping the project expand to New Berlin.
The van is the fifth in the Joseph Project’s fleet. The initiative is run by Greater Praise Church of God with help from U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s office. To date, the efforts have been primarily focused on transporting residents to jobs in Sheboygan County although a Madison branch has also been started. More than 120 Milwaukee residents have been hired for Sheboygan County manufacturing jobs since the project began in 2015.
The Waukesha County Business Alliance worked with a number of businesses in New Berlin to set up a pilot program for Waukesha County. The 15-passenger van was sponsored by the WCBA and four companies that sought to remain anonymous contributed to the van’s purchase.
Amy Olson, WCBA marketing coordinator, said three employees have already been hired for the New Berlin pilot and a number of others are in various stages of the hiring process.
Olson also said the WCBA has received interest from a number of other Waukesha County manufacturers and will look to replicate the model from New Berlin in other communities.
