Jobs and Skills Publications

COWS developed Vital Signs, a regional economic review for the Incourage Community Foundation. This economic analysis summarizes the most recent data to help focus discussions and decision-making on economic opportunity in the South Wood County Area. From schools to employers, wages to social supports, and employment to homelessness, COWS offers data that builds a picture of where South Wood County is, and where it needs to improve.

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This report details the discrepancy between Wisconsin’s current job numbers and those Wisconsin would have achieved had it mirrored national trends.

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This fact sheet from COWS and the Wisconsin Women’s Council, released in honor of National Pay Equity Day, shows that despite the growing importance of women’s contribution to the labor force and to household incomes, the gender wage gap stubbornly persists irrespective of age, race, or level of education. In 2010, Wisconsin women earned, on average, only 77.8 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The Wisconsin gap, while significant, is slightly smaller than in 2009 when women earned just 75 cents for each dollar earned by men. Nationally, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has reported that the decline in the wage gap is mostly due to falling wages for men.

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Toward College Success for Working Adults provides a clearer picture of the educational trajectory of low-skill adults in the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). The analysis presents statewide results from a pipeline data study on transition rates, enrollment, and diploma and degree completion for adults accessing a wide variety of basic skills and postsecondary courses and programs at WTCS. This knowledge can help colleges design programs and services that turn more workers into successful college graduates.

Documents include Full Report and Executive Summary.

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Developed by COWS for Regional Industry Skills Education (RISE), Key Middle-Skill Opportunities in Wisconsin provides a detailed look at projected job opportunities and wages in well-paying occupations that typically do not require a four-year college degree.

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Developed by COWS for Regional Industry Skills Education (RISE), Wisconsin RISE Target Population breaks down demographically those individuals who could use higher skills and better wages.

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The State of Working Wisconsin – Update 2011 provides data on the unemployed and underemployed in the state.

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This paper explores the extent to which this emerging green economy can offer a pathway out of poverty for low-income young people, many of whom have disengaged from school and are struggling to find a way into the economic mainstream. These disconnected youth — some six million strong — represent an untapped resource. Despite the fact that they have experienced difficulties in their personal lives or communities and may not have completed high school, many seek a second chance, returning to programs such as Service and Conservation Corps or other education and work initiatives in their local communities. The Corps Network and several partners — including COWS, Green For All, The Academy for Educational Development (AED), Workforce Strategy Center and Living Cities — guided the development of the paper with additional support from numerous stakeholders.

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This report summarizes some of the major changes included in the 2011-2013 Wisconsin budget affecting jobs, job quality, and economic development, along with a few other Governor Scott Walker initiatives.

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