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  2. News Room
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Tony Evers, Governor
Caleb Frostman, Secretary

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIWorkforce
On Twitter: @WIWorkforce

Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and DWD Secretary-Designee Caleb Frostman Co-Hosted Roundtable Discussion on Talent Attraction and Retention

STURGEON BAY – Yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary-Designee Caleb Frostman met with Wisconsin employers and industry leaders at the Door County Economic Development Corporation to discuss the current labor force climate and solutions related to talent attraction and retention.

"Hearing the retention and attraction strategies of different employers allows our administration to connect the dots to expand and upskill Wisconsin's workforce," Lieutenant Governor Barnes said. "We look forward to working together as a community to find equitable, long-term workforce solutions and address current problems that are barriers to workforce entry."

Fourteen employers representing various industries, including banking, manufacturing, school districts, and more discussed creative solutions to attract workers to Wisconsin and how to advocate for advancement of those already working in the state.

Employers shared that their most successful strategies in attracting and retaining talent have focused on long-term talent pipelines, including introducing different career opportunities to middle school students and high school students and participating in youth and registered apprenticeship programs. Companies with an immediate need for skilled employees have attracted workers by providing solutions to transportation or have created a more flexible workplace.

"Employee recruitment can be a challenge for Wisconsin employers," Secretary-designee Frostman said. "These roundtable discussions give us the opportunity to tailor workforce solutions to the unique needs of employers in different regions across the state, which ultimately lifts entire industries and our state's economy as a whole."

Previous roundtable discussions have been held at Madison College and Gateway Technical College in Racine. DWD plans to continue meeting with Wisconsin employers to ensure that its programming is effective and efficient in developing our state's talent pipeline by expanding and upskilling Wisconsin's workforce.