Category Archives: Workforce Development
Remember the Walker 2010 jobs pledge?
Remember back when jobs, jobs, jobs was the dominant issue in the race for governor of Wisconsin? My friend Tom Hefty and I met in 2010 with several Republican big wigs who were planning Scott Walker’s campaign for his first … Read the rest
Americans must play new job game better
No one disputes that the severe shortage of workers has become a drag on the U. S. economy. Nor that it looks to be a long-term problem. For lack of labor, restaurants have closed either permanently or for some days … Read the rest
Higher wages don’t solve workforce crunch
When you talk to business people here in the Heartland, there is constant refrain: “We can’t find employees, and it’s hurting our business.” My wife and I were at one of our favorite local restaurants in West Bend last week, … Read the rest
A word to graduates: stay positive, stay optimistic; never retire
It’s easy to get a little down these days in the face of tensions in the world, the tragic events that make headlines way too often and the hyper-partisanship that prevails in American politics. If you want a lift out … Read the rest
Immigration realties trump political cant
Kevin Nicholson’s recent answer on a talk radio show on how to deal with the 800,000 children of illegal parents in the United States was patently simple: they’re “illegal.” Now that’s real problem solving from a guy who wants to … Read the rest
Single moms, poverty and contraceptives
Let’s talk about a subject that few in Wisconsin, including the media, want to talk about. That would be the interconnection between the epidemic of births to single mothers, poverty and contraceptives. One brave Wisconsin legislator has broached parts of … Read the rest
Tech college all over skills gaps
One of the issues for Pete Rettler and the West Bend campus of Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) is keeping students through the end of their education programs. The market is so hot for the skills offered that the students … Read the rest
Where is work ethic of yesteryear?
West Bend historically enjoyed an unemployment rate that was better than the Wisconsin average, mainly because it had a diversified business base that was anchored in manufacturing. That started to change 20 years ago when global competition knocked out several … Read the rest
