UpFront: Sullivan sees deep roots to current skills gap

Former Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan says the so-called “skills gap” between workers and jobs in Wisconsin has roots that extend back more than two decades.

“It really started being developed about 25 years ago,” said Sullivan, who is advising Gov. Scott Walker. “The United States was fearful that our foreign competitors were getting ahead of us, so we made a four-year degree the only choice for kids in high school.

“Everything shifted to college prep. What is interesting about that is not only did we not improve and really make ourselves more internationally competitive, we’ve lost ground,” he said. “We are the lowest-performing country from an educational competency level of all of the OECD countries.”

Also, the students who earn four-year degrees are paid less than workers in manufacturing, according to Sullivan, adding jobs are needed in Wisconsin’s manufacturing sector.

“It is not economic development because the jobs are there. The challenge is really on the education side and the workforce development side,” he said. “We have to get … that continuum of workers coming into the workforce that are interested in going into the jobs that are available today.”

In order to do that, Sullivan believes technical education programs need to be put back into high schools and receive more funding to interest students.

“I think they will if they understand what the end game is, which is a good, high-paying job,” he said.

Also, Sullivan said schools should receive funding based on merit.

“There are 22 states out there of the 50 that have performance-based funding. We have to get on the band wagon. We have to make sure we are performing to the extent that we should to compete with other states.”

Sullivan made his comments on “UpFront with Mike Gousha,” a statewide Sunday program produced in conjunction with WisPolitics.com .

Watch the show: http://www.wisn.com/politics/upfront