Contact: Amy Hasenberg, (608) 266-2839

$365 million invested in worker training under Governor Walker

MILWAUKEE – Governor Scott Walker today highlighted the state’s growing economy and workforce development investments at the Milwaukee 7 (M7) Economic Development Forum in Milwaukee. M7 is a regional economic development cooperative that comprises seven southeastern counties: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha.
“More people are employed in our state than ever before, and our unemployment rate is at an all-time low of 2.8 percent. That’s tied for 5th lowest in the country and tied for lowest in the Midwest,” said Governor Walker. “This is great news, but we’re not done yet. We want to continue investing in our successful worker training programs and talent attraction to keep Wisconsin moving forward.”

Since Governor Walker took office, Wisconsin has invested more than $365 million (state GPR) on workforce development initiatives which includes: Department of Workforce Development’s (DWD) Wisconsin Fast Forward and Vocational Rehabilitation programs; K-12 workforce education grants; FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) career development; University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical College System workforce initiatives; and financial aid programs and grants awarded by the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB).

In addition, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has made 721 awards to businesses and communities in the M7 region since 2011 for projects that are expected to retain 37,000 jobs and create 31,700 jobs. All seven counties in the region have experienced a decrease in their unemployment rates since April 2017, with Milwaukee, Racine, and Washington counties all reporting historic lows in April 2018.

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