In 1976, a consortium of representatives of the building trades founded Building Industry Group Skilled Trades Employment Program (BIG STEP), evolving from the efforts started in 1967 with Vince Toran and Project Leap. BIG STEP was formed in an attempt to increase the number of women, minorities, and younger workers employed in the building trades. In 1992, the formation of Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) was announced after the Commission on a Quality Workforce recommended the development of partnerships between business, labor, and government to renew the industrial base in the Milwaukee area. WRTP continued to grow, receiving funds from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to develop a model program in manufacturing training. In 2000, WRTP was awarded a demonstration grant from the United States Department of Labor to replicate the program in other sectors. In 2002, WRTP and BIG STEP, both with their own highly successful histories, partnered to facilitate more effective coordination of employer-driven worker readiness to best ensure that individuals preparing for employment gained the skills and experiences that employers need. WRTP became the fiscal agent for BIG STEP and BIG STEP became an industry-driven funding source for WRTP, with programming efficiencies achieved in both organizations. In 2005, with support from Governor Jim Doyle, the partnership established the Center of Excellence (COE) for Skilled Trades & Industry, and BIG STEP is an integral part of WRTP. In 2014, WRTP and BIG STEP formally merged their Boards of Directors into one board as they continued to move toward becoming one organization. Together, WRTP | BIG STEP has expanded its reach beyond the confines of Milwaukee to serve the wider populations of Wisconsin, with locations in Madison as well as Racine.