Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce: Seeks applicants for job honor awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 18, 2015



Contact: Katy Pettersen, 608.661.6916


MADISON – The Wisconsin Job Honor Awards is accepting nominations for its first annual awards event. Hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), the state chamber of commerce, on the eve of their annual Business Day in Madison, the First Annual Wisconsin Job Honor Awards will be presented on February 23, 2016 at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center in Madison.



The Awards will celebrate Wisconsinites who have overcome significant barriers to employment and the employers who hire them.



Launched in Iowa in 2014, America’s Job Honor Awards is expanding nationally under the sponsorship of Milwaukee-based ManpowerGroup. Previous honorees have overcome physical and mental disabilities, criminal convictions, limited English proficiency, and long-term unemployment in their struggle for employment.



“Our society celebrates lottery winners, movie stars and professional athletes,” notes founder Kyle Horn. “We rarely hear inspiring stories of individuals whose lives are transformed through the hard work and perseverance that leads to meaningful employment. It’s time for a new kind of hero.”



“Wisconsin employers are seeking new solutions to our labor shortage,” notes Kurt R. Bauer, President/CEO of WMC, citing a recent survey in which 70% of responding employers report difficulty finding qualified employees. “By shining a spotlight on success stories, the Wisconsin Job Honor Awards will help us engage our state’s untapped workforce.”



Top employee honorees will bring home $500 each, and winners in both the employee and employer categories will receive engraved awards. Biographical videos will be presented for all honorees. “Expect some deeply moving personal stories,” says Horn.



Nominations are invited through the organization’s website, www.JobHonor.org before the October 15, 2015 deadline. Videos of previous honorees can be viewed at the website, www.jobhonor.org



About the Wisconsin Job Honor Awards

The Wisconsin Job Honor Awards celebrates Wisconsinites who have overcome significant barriers to employment, and the employers who hire them. WJHA’s mission is to rekindle hope and energize the work ethic across Wisconsin, through the celebration of a new kind of hero. www.JobHonor.org


Lead sponsor of the Awards is ManpowerGroup, world leader in innovative workforce solutions.



About WMC

Founded in 1911, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) is the state’s chamber of commerce and largest business trade association representing more than 3,700 employers of every size and from every sector of the economy. The WMC Foundation is an integral part of WMC and is dedicated to building a better future for Wisconsin by providing business and economics education, workforce development initiatives, local chambers of commerce support, safety training programs and sharing business best practices. www.wmc.org



About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN) is the world’s workforce expert, creating innovative workforce solutions for more than 65 years. As workforce experts, we connect more than 600,000 people to meaningful work across a wide range of skills and industries every day. Through our ManpowerGroup family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management ® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions – we help more than 400,000 clients in 80 countries and territories address their critical talent needs, providing comprehensive solutions to resource, manage and develop talent. In 2015, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fifth consecutive year and one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup makes powering the world of work humanly possible: www.manpowergroup.com