In what will play a major role in Wisconsin’s economic recovery, more than 426,000 “middle-skill” job openings — those that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year degree — are projected for the state by 2016, concludes this study by The Workforce Alliance (TWA) and the Skills2Compete-Wisconsin campaign, of which of COWS is a lead partner.
The report, which tracks Wisconsin’s jobs at the middle-skill level, notes that funds from federal economic recovery legislation, especially the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are expected to create more than one million new jobs across the country and that Wisconsin has a number of exemplary middle-skill education and training opportunities. These opportunities must continue to keep up with the anticipated demand for middle-skill workers.
Skills2Compete-Wisconsin believes every Wisconsinite should have access to education or training past high school — leading to a technical college degree or diploma, occupational credential, industry certification, or one’s first two years of college — to be pursued at whatever point and pace makes sense for individual workers and industries.