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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, the County doesn’t do Economic Development, and no elected
leaders are currently responsible for workforce development. There is no
oversight in our present system.
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 line 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:
Sincerely, |
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