Wisconsin Economy Publications

Greening Wisconsin’s Workforce: Training, Recovery, and the Clean Energy Economy tackles the question of how Wisconsin can best pursue the greener and more equitable promise of the clean energy economy. It looks at how the state can use Recovery Act dollars and a first-rate technical college system to ensure that the emerging green economy benefits Wisconsin’s working families.

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Held October 29, 2009, in Madison, Wisconsin, this publication provides a brief summary of the discussion and findings of the Women, Jobs and Wisconsin’s Green Economy Public Policy Roundtable. COWS was a key participant and the Proceedings document many of our views on the Green Economy.

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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.

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Developed by COWS for Regional Industry Skills Education (RISE), Key Middle-Skill Opportunities in Wisconsinprovides 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), this report breaks down demographically those individuals who could use higher skills and better wages.

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The State of Working Wisconsin – Update 2009 gives a snapshot of the effects of the recession on Wisconsin workers and their families, and reports on other key trends.

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This report evaluates Madison Area Technical College‘s (MATC’s) Science/Math Bridge, a pilot initiative to increase opportunities for lower-skill individuals to access – and succeed in – the college’s science-based postsecondary programs.

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This report makes the case for a higher minimum wage in Wisconsin. Though the July 23, 2009, increase of the federal and state minimum wage to $7.25 will put money in the pockets of 196,000 Wisconsin working adults. A proposal by state leaders to increase the state minimum to $7.60 and index it annually to inflation would bring higher wages to some 316,000 workers and put $108 million dollars into the economy.

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This article, published in the International Labor Brief of the Korea Labor Institute, discusses the formation of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/BIG STEP, its maturation as a key labor market intermediary in the Milwaukee regional economy, and how it is faring in the current economic crisis.

Documents include original and English Translation.

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The State of Working Wisconsin 2008, a biennial report on how the state and its workers are faring. Documents include Full Report and Summary.

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