Dept. of Commerce: Governor’s Workforce Conference To Focus On Employee Skill Development

Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608/267-9661

MADISON – Business owners and managers seeking to build a skilled, competitive labor force will want to attend the 2006 Governor’s Workforce Development Conference, entitled “The Wisconsin Workforce: Building Skills for a Global Economy,” to be held May 17 and 18 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton.

“This conference will build on Governor Doyle’s Grow Wisconsin Plan by helping Wisconsin companies compete on the high end and create more highly-skilled, well-paying jobs for Wisconsin families” said Department of Commerce Secretary Mary P. Burke.

The conference will address creating and expanding high-end jobs that will increase earning power for Wisconsin families; investing in the workforce so workers will possess the skills needed to move up the career ladder; meeting the needs of employers to retain existing companies and attract new ones; and helping companies expand their economic base. The conference will offer workshops on Diversity in the Workplace, Collaboration and Cooperation, Leadership, Tools and Technology, Workforce and Economic Development, and Education and Training.

Over 400 public and private employers and individuals throughout the Midwest will attend the conference to network, strategize, and problem solve issues impacting economic and workforce development. For more information about the conference or to register for the conference, contact Deanna Applehans, UW-Stout Outreach Services, at 715/232-2793 or go to http://www.gwdc.net.