In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, the president of the Wisconsin Technical College System said current waiting lists in high-demand fields are putting stress on worker pipelines.
Layla Merrifield said Wisconsin’s 16 technical schools, which enroll nearly 300,000 students, are wrestling with the effects of inflation, underfunding from the state Legislature, affordability for students and an ever-changing job market influenced by artificial intelligence.
Merrifield said waiting lists for programs are specific to each campus, but they include high-demand fields such as welding for manufacturers and ultrasound technicians for hospitals.
