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.
Sincerely,
Tom Barrett,
Mayor
