|
March 30, 2007
A New Direction for Workforce Development
Dear Friends:
A healthy economy for Milwaukee will be made up of trained, skilled workers
who can fill the needs of local employers and provide incentives for businesses
to relocate or expand here.
Since I took office in 2004, my Administration has leveraged more than 10,000
jobs. But we must do more.
 In
the past, Milwaukee has not been aggressive in workforce development. Those
times are gone. Acting on the recommendations of UWM and the Public Policy, I
have asked for the City of Milwaukee to be designated the lead agency for
workforce in our region.
Currently, 22 out of the top 25 cities in the U.S. operate their workforce
initiatives in conjunction with the Mayor's office. The reason is clear:
Leadership, plain and simple.
I have developed a plan to mobilize the city as a leader in workforce
development that will energize our community for workforce excellence. By doing
so, we will create more family-supporting jobs, help businesses grow and expand,
and strengthen Milwaukee's regional economy.
What can the Mayor and City provide that is currently lacking?
Accountability: Simply put, there is no oversight for
Economic Development in our current system. We need to have greater
responsibility for workforce development in our community.
Uniting the Community to Close the Skills Gap: We need the
investment and commitment of business, faith, and government to address the
needs of those who cannot compete in the job market today because they lack
adequate jobs skills -- most of whom live in the city of Milwaukee. As Mayor, I
have the bully pulpit to do just that.
Credibility with Business: I have worked firsthand with many
private companies on workforce development projects. My collaboration with the
manufacturing firms Tramont and Bucyrus on worker training programs are just a
few examples.
Regional Approach: I played a founding role in the Regional
Workforce Alliance of Southeast Wisconsin, which is developing strategies and
communication networks to attract and retain talent for our growing and new
businesses in the Milwaukee 7 region.
Private and Public Grants: I worked to get several grant
efforts from both the state and federal governments (GROW, MATC, and WIRED) that
have already delivered almost $7.5 million to connect unemployed workers in
Milwaukee to jobs in the City and throughout the region.
In addition, I secured a $500,000 grant for workforce development from the
Bader Foundation, and I'm looking at additional institutions and foundations
that have expressed interest in Milwaukee. We need leadership and accountability
for these efforts to pay dividends, and thus far I am the only public official
prepared to step up and provide it.
Finally, I encourage you to review these recent reports on the current state
of workforce development in our community:
OnMilwaukee.com: Picking on PIC: Job training might need to be switched
OnMilwaukee.com: More Picking on PIC
Sincerely,
Mayor |