Contacts: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today that the U.S. Economic Development Administration is awarding a $670,196 grant to Lakeshore Technical College, the Plymouth School District, and the City of Plymouth for their partnership in building a manufacturing skills training center in Sheboygan County. The project will help workers develop valuable high-end manufacturing skills.
“My number one priority this year is helping our businesses create jobs and giving our workers the opportunities to get those jobs,” Governor Doyle said. “Through this grant, we will be able to train the next generation of our great manufacturing workforce in Sheboygan County.”
The project grew out of manufacturers’ round table discussions organized by the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce to identify and address skill shortages foreseen by area manufacturers.
Governor Doyle has worked hard to support the state’s manufacturing workforce and help the state compete at the high end. The Governor’s Grow Wisconsin Plan set a goal of training 40 percent of the manufacturing workforce in advanced techniques by 2016.
The Plymouth partnership project leverages federal economic development and community-based resources to provide training and address the need for new manufacturing workers.
The Training Center will be located at Plymouth High School and includes manufacturing and computer laboratories, donated High Speed Production Line Operations equipment, updated classrooms, and space for Lakeshore Technical College staff to provide training oversight and outreach activities. The project will complement Plymouth High School’s participation in the STEM program which is designed to provide high school students with greater science, technology, engineering and mathematics exposure so they are better equipped to participate in the workforce.
The project builds on Governor Doyle’s work to support manufacturers in the state. Governor Doyle has laid out plans to continue building the state’s economy and create jobs, including passing the CORE Jobs Act to build on the Governor’s successful economic development tax credits and strengthen programs for manufacturing, research and development, and worker training. The Governor has also called for passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create 16,000 jobs in the emerging clean energy economy and is establishing the Wisconsin Green to Gold Fund to help manufacturers reduce energy costs and create and retain jobs.
Since taking office in 2003, Governor Doyle has worked aggressively to create and retain jobs in Wisconsin. Because of Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin now has some of the most powerful economic development tools in the country – from new tax credits to help manufacturers create and retain jobs, to new tools to help investors create start-ups, to new incentives to spur research and development. As a result of these tax credits, numerous companies have expanded or moved operations from other states to Wisconsin – including Republic Airways in Milwaukee, Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, and Oshkosh Corporation – creating thousands of new jobs in communities throughout the state.
The Governor has also worked to improve Wisconsin’s tax ranking and business climate. Today, Wisconsin ranks 30th in business taxes – well below the national average.
