New Report: Largest Portion of Job Openings Projected for Wisconsin by 2016 Are 'Middle-Skill'

New Report: Largest Portion of Job Openings Projected for Wisconsin by 2016
Are 'Middle-Skill'

Wisconsin's Economic Recovery Tied to Preparing Workers Now for Future Jobs
Requiring Short-Term, Tech College Training

Federal Recovery Dollars to Create Jobs in Middle-Skill Industries; Report
Urges Greater Opportunities for Training Beyond High School

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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 a new
study released today by The Workforce Alliance (TWA) and the
Skills2Compete-Wisconsin campaign, an affiliate of the national Skills2Compete
campaign. But to unleash the full economic benefits of these openings,
Wisconsin will need to continue to invest in proper training and education for
its workforce.

While the recession is stifling current employment growth, the report projects
that middle-skill jobs (including new jobs and replacement) would account for
46 percent of all openings between 2006 and 2016.

The report, which for the first time 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 also
expected to create more than one million new jobs across the country --
especially in industries dominated by middle-skill occupations like
construction, manufacturing and transportation.

The report also notes that while 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.
Prior to the national recession, Wisconsin, like most states, was already
experiencing shortages of middle skill workers in crucial industries. About 54
percent of all jobs are classified as middle-skill but only 46 percent of
Wisconsin workers likely have the credentials to fill them. As Wisconsin and
all states move from recession into recovery, employers will likely once again
face the challenge of finding quality middle-skill workers -- slowing the pace
of economic growth.

"This is really an important time for Wisconsin to invest in training," urges
Andrea Ray of TWA, the convening organization for the national Skills2Compete
campaign. "If Wisconsin seeks timely economic recovery and long-term
prosperity, the state must ensure that its workforce has the necessary
education and training to meet the labor demands of the future. The national
recession provides a time frame for businesses and the state to be strategic,
evaluate labor and skill needs, and train and prepare for the jobs that are
expected to grow."

Wisconsin's Forgotten Middle-Skills Jobs also assesses the current and future
middle-skill employment and education patterns in the state:

-- Shortages in manufacturing and healthcare will increase. In a 2007
survey of Wisconsin manufacturing CEOs, 58 percent noted they were
unable to find workers for skilled production jobs. And a survey of
the
health care workforce in central Wisconsin finds that more than 25
percent of workers plan to retire within next ten years -- 28 percent
of
whom are nurses.

-- Middle-skill jobs expected to grow by 2016 in Wisconsin include police
and sheriff's patrol officers with an average annual earning of
$45,269;
carpenters with an average annual earning of $38,760; and registered
nurses with an average annual earning of $57,376. The report includes
a
list of 30 high-demand middle-skill jobs in Wisconsin.

The report also finds that 67 percent of the people who will be in Wisconsin's
workforce in the year 2020 were already working adults in 2005 --
significantly limiting the state's ability to rely on a traditional pipeline
from high school to a two-year or four-year degree. The Skills2Compete
campaign says this finding underscores the need for Wisconsin to continue to
target training and education to people who are working or who could be
working today.

Tim Sullivan, CEO of the Milwaukee-based Bucyrus International and Chair of
the Governor's Council on Workforce Investment, said the report highlights his
ongoing priorities, "We've experienced shortages in skilled workers for years.
While the current recession limits our ability to grow, we know that when the
economy bounces back we will need a strong, skilled workforce to sustain
growth and keep our company moving forward."

The analysis for the study was performed by TWA using data from the U.S.
Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey,
American Community Survey and state labor market data from the Wisconsin
Department of Workforce Development. The analysis is based on the methodology
developed for the national Skills2Compete report - America's Forgotten
Middle-Skill Jobs - by labor economists Harry Holzer and Robert Lerman.

Echoing a vision put forward by the national Skills2Compete campaign,
President Obama first challenged every American to commit to at least one year
of postsecondary education or training in February 2009, and has continued to
signal that investing in a range of skills for America's workforce -- "be it
at a technical college or a four-year school; vocational training or an
apprenticeship" -- will be a priority for his Administration.

"This is a federal call to action that speaks directly to Wisconsin's
strengths. The President has called on all Americans to obtain some form of
postsecondary education or job training and has backed that up with
commitments to invest in technical colleges and other middle-skill training
opportunities," notes Sarah White of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, a lead
partner in the Skill2Compete-Wisconsin campaign. Patricia Schramm of the
Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin, another lead partner,
agrees, "Wisconsin should advance this federal vision, and take proactive
policy actions to train more state residents for better, more plentiful
middle-skill jobs and careers."

The Skills2Compete-Wisconsin campaign is calling on state leaders to embrace a
strong vision, building on investments that Governor Doyle and the state have
already taken, to guide an economic and education strategy that would allow
residents to meet or exceed the President's challenge: 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. An
education strategy guided by this vision would give Wisconsin a competitive
edge for recovery and long-term growth.

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman said
the report supports Governor Doyle's Grow Wisconsin investments and efforts to
train workers for jobs of the future. "Skills2Compete builds on our existing
efforts, from the Governor's investments in the Wisconsin Covenant program and
the technical college system to efforts such as the Wisconsin Sector
Strategies Initiative, Opportunity Grants and Skills Jump Start to plan for
growing, emerging sectors. As Wisconsin looks to remain a strong competitor in
the global economy, it's critical that we create career paths for workers with
limited training and prepare them for jobs of the future."

President Dan Clancy of the Wisconsin Technical College System also strongly
supports the campaign's vision. "This is really about creating a culture of
lifelong learning in Wisconsin that will ensure a skilled workforce for
generations to come," Clancy said. "Given the rapid pace of technological
advancements in the workplace, high quality education and training for all
workers has become an economic imperative."

Wisconsin's technical colleges and workforce development boards have already
begun to develop innovative career pathways in many regions that are
specifically targeted to dislocated workers and working adults.

The report is funded by the Joyce Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Milwaukee
Area Workforce Funding Alliance.

"Citizens in the Midwest, and Wisconsin in particular, need access to
education to prepare for middle-skill jobs that will support their families,"
said Ellen Alberding, Joyce Foundation president. "Wisconsin's Shifting Gears
project will help people learn the right skills for the right jobs and
participate in the state's economic recovery."

"It's vital to have independent research on the region's education and skill
gaps, and these findings provide a roadmap," said Kathryn Dunn, chairwoman of
the Milwaukee Area Workforce Funding Alliance, a coalition of corporations and
foundations working on issues affecting low-income workers. "If we can meet
those needs, we'll have a better-prepared workforce that can bolster long-term
economic growth."

Members of the Skills2Compete-Wisconsin campaign will meet in Washington DC in
November with congressional leaders to review the study's findings and
encourage further federal efforts to ensure all workers can get the skills
they need to play a role in economic recovery. The campaign will brief state
policymakers on the report's findings and begin to explore ways to make
Wisconsin a leading state in addressing the middle-skills gap.

Skills2Compete is a non-partisan campaign to ensure the U.S. workforce has the
skills needed to meet business demand, foster innovation, and grow broadly
shared prosperity. The campaign's diverse and growing list of endorsers
include national and local leaders from business, labor, education and
training, community and civil rights groups, and the public sector. The
Skills2Compete Vision: Every U.S. worker should have access to the equivalent
of at least two years of education or training past high school -- leading to
a vocational 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. Every person must also have the opportunity to obtain
the basic skills needed to pursue such education. For more information visit
www.Skills2Compete.org and www.Skills2Compete.org/Wisconsin.

TWA's mission is to advocate for public policies that invest in the skills of
America's workers, so they can better support their families and help American
businesses better compete in today's economy. The Workforce Alliance is a
national coalition of community-based training organizations, community
colleges, unions, business leaders, local officials, and leading technical
assistance and research organizations. This alliance of stakeholders, who have
not previously come together, ensures that our efforts are not in the self
interest of a particular group, but are instead in the broader public interest
of the nation. For more information, visit www.workforcealliance.org.

SOURCE The Workforce Alliance

Ambar Mentor, Valerie Denney Communications, +1-312-408-2580 ext. 25 office;
+1-773-343-1481 cell, amentor@valeriedenney.com