CESA 1 Talent Acquisition Pipeline (TAP) Alliance

Purpose

The Talent Acquisition Pipeline (TAP) Alliance is a regional coalition of school districts and employer partners working together to build a strong, sustainable future workforce in Southeast Wisconsin. The TAP Alliance creates a structured and collaborative space to:

• Align career pathways with regional talent needs
• Expand student career-based learning experiences
• Strengthen the link between classrooms and careers
• Support local employers in developing future talent pipelines
• Keep Wisconsin talent in Wisconsin

The TAP Alliance is facilitated by CESA 1 as the regional convener connecting 45 school districts and a growing network of employer partners through the Agency’s Career Futures Hub.

Why This Matters

Across Southeast Wisconsin, demand for skilled, locally-rooted talent continues to increase. Schools and employers are both working toward the same goal — helping students successfully transition into meaningful careers — yet they often operate in separate systems.

The TAP Alliance brings these systems together to co-design solutions that are: regional, aligned, sustainable, and responsive to workforce needs.

Year 1 Focus

Year 1 is intentionally designed to be manageable and relationship-based. This is about building a shared foundation and demonstrating early impact.

Year 1 Goals

• Establish a collaborative regional table that includes districts and employers.
• Strengthen one priority career pathway per participating district.
• Facilitate one meaningful student experience per district.
• Provide the option for teacher micro-externships to deepen classroom relevance.

Structure & Meeting Cadence

The TAP Alliance will meet quarterly, with a clear purpose for each session.  Each session will run from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM, and be held at the CESA 1 location.

• September 23, 2026
  • Kickoff and shared priorities
    • Each district will identify one priority pathway to strengthen.

• December 8, 2026
  • Employer insight and pathway alignment
    • Pathway courses sequencing, credentials, and work-based learning (WBL) opportunities aligned.

• March 11, 2027
  • WBL matchmaking
    • Each district completes one student experiential opportunity.

Districts will choose one of the following low-lift, high-impact, flexible formats for their student experiences:

• Job shadow (single or small group)
• Career interview panel (in-person or virtual)
• Guest speaker or mentor series
• Facility/site tour + career role exploration
• “Day in the Life” small cohort experience