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  2. News Room
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Tony Evers, Governor
Caleb Frostman, Secretary

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 29, 2019
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIWorkforce
On Twitter: @WIWorkforce

Governor Tony Evers and DWD Secretary-Designee Caleb Frostman Co-Hosted Roundtable Discussion on Workforce Solutions

MADISON – Today, Governor Tony Evers and Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-Designee Caleb Frostman met with Wisconsin employers and industry leaders at Gateway Technical College in Racine to discuss the current labor force climate and solutions related to talent attraction and retention.

"With Wisconsin's low unemployment rate, employers have struggled to find candidates to fill open positions," Governor Evers said. "Meeting with employers provides our administration the opportunity to connect the dots and determine what employers and workers need to create a Wisconsin economy that works for everyone."

Nineteen employers representing various industries, including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and school districts discussed creative solutions to attract workers to Wisconsin and how to advocate for advancement of those already working in the state.

Employers shared that their most successful strategies in attracting and retaining talent have focused on long-term talent pipelines, including introducing different career opportunities to middle school students and high school students and participating in youth and registered apprenticeship programs. Companies with an immediate need for skilled employees have attracted workers by providing solutions to transportation or have created a more flexible workplace.

"We know that Wisconsin has many job openings for workers of all skill levels," Secretary-Designee Frostman said. "But filling those openings continues to be a challenge. At DWD, we are prioritizing listening to private businesses to learn their specific bottlenecks, learn from their creative workforce solutions, and learn how our agency can continue to improve our programming to provide transferable skills that lift entire industries and our state's economy."

A previous roundtable discussion was held at Madison College in early June. DWD plans to continue meeting with Wisconsin employers to ensure that its programming is effective and efficient in developing our state's talent pipeline by expanding and upskilling Wisconsin's workforce.