Editorial Column by Loren Oldenburg (R-Viroqua)
Returning to work and regaining a sense of normalcy after the pandemic in 2020 has been difficult for every Wisconsinite in different ways. Three years later, the unemployment rate has returned to historic lows but labor force participation continues to dwindle. To address these issues and help support employers across the state, the 2023-2025 state budget invests in workforce development through talent recruitment and retention. Specifically, increased funding for youth apprenticeship, technical colleges, and training grants to help employees continue to grow.
I cannot emphasize enough how excited I am about the investments that were made into the Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program this year. Yes, this program helps address shortages in entry-level employees and strengthens our state’s economy; more importantly, it helps high school students navigate their career path before graduation. The additional $7 million dollars in funding that was allocated for these grants will allow more students the opportunity to receive hands-on training in the field of their choice.
Technical colleges are another crucial resource for our future workforce, funding for these schools has been increased by $10 million dollars this biennium. These funds can be used flexibly by individual colleges based on the needs of the student population and surrounding business community. Funding was also provided for open educational resources, which help technical colleges provide textbooks and other educational materials to students free of cost.
While I am pleased with these investments into Wisconsin’s future workforce, our state’s current workforce should not be underestimated. Workforce advancement training grants, which are available through the Wisconsin Technical College System, have received an additional $2 million dollars in this budget. These training grants can be used by employers to offer technology training, leadership training, or any other type of class that helps employees learn new skills in their field.
In total, Wisconsin will spend over $1.4 billion dollars each year of the budget to keep our existing and newly created workforce development programs strong. Investing into youth apprenticeship and technical colleges for our future employees, while offering our current employees the most up-to-date training ensures the state will have a well-rounded workforce. For further questions on the 2023-2025 Wisconsin state budget, please feel free to contact my office at Rep.Oldenburg@legis.wisconsin.gov or at (608) 267-9196.
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