CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
MADISON – Today, Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Deputy Secretary Christopher Hagerup delivered testimony in support of legislation that would support a new mobile job center as part of a $6.8 million package to attract and retain talent in Wisconsin.
“This legislation takes an important step forward in building Wisconsin’s workforce through talent attraction,” Deputy Secretary Hagerup said during testimony before the Senate Committee Senate Committee on Economic Development, Commerce, and Local Government. “DWD would use $300,000 of the $6.8 million provided to purchase a mobile job center to serve not just out-of-state talent, but Wisconsin residents in rural and urban areas who may face transportation or other barriers accessing a brick-and-mortar job center. It also helps to provide rapid attachment to those services and individuals by allowing DWD to gather information instantaneously.”
The $300,000 mobile job center will:
- Deliver support and provide rapid attachment to employment services in rural and urban areas in Wisconsin where access to services can be challenging.
- Bring rapid attachment services to events outside the state such as military bases and veteran talent recruitment events.
- Increase job seeker and employer access to services without incurring costs for brick-and-mortar or leasing separate facilities.
The legislation, Senate Bill 679, directs the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to coordinate with DWD and other state agencies to develop and implement comprehensive initiatives to attract to and retain talent in Wisconsin. Deputy Secretary Hagerup joined officials from WEDC and the state Departments of Tourism and Veterans Affairs in testifying in support of the bill.
The mobile job center would complement the important work being done by all 61 Job Center locations statewide, as well as JobCenterofWisconsin.com, the state’s premier, mobile-responsive online resource that offers job postings and employment tools to employers and job seekers 24 hours a day.
A fact sheet about the mobile job center and other components of the talent attraction plan, is available online.