Gov. Tony Evers last week wrapped up a statewide tour highlighting his administration’s efforts to support Wisconsin’s workforce and urging continued investments to address the state’s generational workforce challenges to recruit, train and retain workers. The governor visited several workforce development and apprenticeship programs across the state.
During the visits, Evers advocated for the workforce investments in his proposed 2025-27 budget. Meanwhile, the state’s Republican-controlled budget committee this month voted to gut more than 600 proposals from the budget, including:
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Efforts to reduce barriers to work and expand job training opportunities by reestablishing the successful Workforce Innovation Grant Program;
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Grants to local organizations to address local workforce needs and barriers to employment;
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Investments in the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program and Fast Forward workforce training opportunities for in-demand fields, including artificial intelligence, teacher apprenticeships and green jobs training;
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Supports to connect workers to jobs, including the Worker Connection Pilot Program and Youth-to-Registered Apprenticeship supports; and
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Proposals to restore collective bargaining rights and prevailing wage protections, repeal the right to work and bolster protections relating to wage theft, worker misclassification and project labor agreements.
The governor’s proposed budget would have also provided most private-sector workers in Wisconsin with paid family and medical leave for eight weeks and expanded eligibility.
