MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers last week wrapped up his statewide tour highlighting his administration’s efforts to support Wisconsin’s workforce and advocating for continued investments to address the state’s generational workforce challenges recruiting, training, and retaining workers. The governor visited several workforce development and apprenticeship programs across the state and urged continued statewide investments that build upon the Evers Administration’s work over the past six years to address the state’s generational workforce challenges and build a workforce prepared to meet the needs of a 21st-century economy.
“I declared 2024 the Year of the Worker in Wisconsin to recognize how important maintaining a strong workforce is to our state’s economy and renew our focus on bolstering our workforce, reducing barriers to work, and making smart investments in key sectors. We’ve made critically important progress toward recruiting, training, and retaining workers across Wisconsin under my administration. Still, as always, there is more work to do to address the workforce challenges that have plagued our state for generations,” said Gov Evers. “In 2025, we must continue working to build upon our progress toward making sure Wisconsin has a 21st-century workforce to meet the needs of a 21st-century economy. I urge the Legislature to make the investments necessary to address our state’s longstanding workforce challenges, which is critical to maintaining our economic momentum and ensuring Wisconsin’s future economic success.”
These visits come as last week, the state’s Republican-controlled budget committee this month voted to gut more than 600 proposals from the governor’s 2025-27 budget, including several workforce-related proposals. The governor’s 2025-27 budget would have built upon his administration’s work to support the state’s workforce. Instead, Republicans voted to gut:
Efforts to reduce barriers to work and expand job training opportunities by reestablishing the successful Workforce Innovation Grant Program; Grants to local organizations to address local workforce needs and barriers to work; Investments in the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program and Fast Forward workforce training opportunities for in-demand fields, including artificial intelligence, teacher apprenticeships, and green jobs training; and Supports to connect workers to jobs, including the highly successful Worker Connection Pilot Program and Youth-to-Registered Apprenticeship supports; and Proposals to restore collective bargaining rights and prevailing wage protections, repeal right to work, and bolster protections relating to wage theft, worker misclassification, and project labor agreements.
The governor’s proposed budget would have also provided most private-sector workers in Wisconsin with paid family and medical leave for eight weeks and expanded eligibility to ensure parents and families had the flexibility to meet their personal, family members’, or kids’ needs—a proposal that over 70 percent of Wisconsinites support.
During the visits, Gov. Evers highlighted the importance of his workforce investments in his proposed 2025-27 budget, as well as the Evers Administration’s continued efforts to build on the forward momentum of Wisconsin’s workforce success during 2024 the Year of the Worker.
On Mon., May 12, Gov. Evers and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Amy Pechacek visited Green Bay West High School to learn more about their Bay Link Manufacturing program, which, for 10 years now, has been offering students the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a high-precision manufacturing lab equipped to teach students about the business of manufacturing through sales, marketing, accounting, production planning, and customer service. Students who participate in the Bay Link Manufacturing program have the opportunity to earn college credits and their Computer Numerical Control certification. Photos of the governor’s visit are available here and here.
Following this, Gov. Evers and Secretary Pechacek visited Lippert Components Inc. in Eau Claire to learn about how Lippert is utilizing a $400,000 worker training grant received through the Wisconsin Fast Forward program that the company received in 2024 from DWD. In partnership with Chippewa Valley Technical College, the company is using the grant to provide skills and certifications aligned with high-demand manufacturing roles in the Chippewa Valley region. In his 2025-27 Executive Budget, Gov. Evers included key investments in the state’s Fast Forward workforce training opportunities for in-demand fields, including artificial intelligence, teacher apprenticeships, and green jobs training. Unfortunately, Republicans on the state’s budget committee voted to eliminate several of Gov. Evers’ plans to add additional investments to support the Wisconsin Fast Forward program. Photos of the governor’s visit are available here and here.
On Tues., May 13, Gov. Evers and Secretary Pechacek attended the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment’s (CWI) full council meeting, where they discussed the importance of workforce training and thanked members for their time and dedication to serving on the CWI. The Governor’s CWI is a federally mandated entity under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that assists the governor in developing innovative and dynamic approaches to develop Wisconsin’s workforce. The council is charged with aiding Wisconsin employers in finding the workers they need and providing resources to enable workers to access training for in-demand careers. The council is comprised of business leaders, state legislators, local elected officials, representatives from educational institutions, community-based organizations, and labor representatives from across the state. A photo of the governor’s visit is available here.
On Wed., May 14, Gov. Evers visited the University of Wisconsin (UW)-River Falls Humane Handling Institute. During the visit, the governor learned about how UW-River Falls is using a $525,000 grant received through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Meat Talent Development Grant Program to bolster the state’s meat processing workforce. Additionally, Gov. Evers highlighted his proposed efforts in his 2025-27 Executive Budget to continue supporting the Meat Talent Development Grant Program, as well as bolster the state’s workforce in many high-need industries. Unfortunately, funding for the Meat Talent Development Grant Program was gutted from the governor’s budget by the state’s Republican-controlled budget committee, as well as other significant investments to bolster the state’s supply chain, support Wisconsin’s farmers and agricultural industries, and help farmers and producers navigate economic volatility and uncertainty caused by irresponsible tariff taxes and trade wars. Photos of the governor’s visit are available here and here.
On Thurs., May 15, Gov. Evers honored service members, volunteers, and programs within AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps Seniors, and local nonprofit organizations for their extraordinary contributions to communities across Wisconsin at the annual 2025 Governor’s Service Awards, which are organized by Serve Wisconsin. This year’s Governor’s Service Awards took place as the Trump Administration recently announced plans to immediately terminate federal grants for all 25 of the currently operating AmeriCorps programs in Serve Wisconsin’s portfolio, as well as the grants for five additional organizations developing programs and a grant to support local communities through the Volunteer Generation Fund.
The termination of grants and closure of programs without any prior notice will have a detrimental impact on the AmeriCorps members serving in Wisconsin. They will be left suddenly without a living stipend and other benefits, such as healthcare, due to the termination of their program. Many members will be facing housing, food, health, and other financial emergencies as a result of losing their living stipends, which are likely their only source of income during their service. Additionally, the dedicated staff members who direct and manage these terminated AmeriCorps programs may also lose their employment, as the nonprofits and other organizations who host AmeriCorps programs will likely not be able to pay these staff now that their grants have been terminated. In response, to these federal cuts, Gov. Evers announced that Wisconsin joined a multi-state lawsuit suing the Trump Administration over the cuts. More on his visit with AmeriCorps members at 2025 Governor’s Service Awards is available here.
Additionally, on Thursday, Gov. Evers visited the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District 7 Madison Training Center, IUPAT’s newest facility. During the visit, Gov. Evers toured the facility and learned about the approximately 2,400 members and over 180 signatory contractors represented by IUPAT District 7, many of which are employed by major companies like the Miller Brewing Company, the Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee Hilton Hotel, Milwaukee Public Museum, the city of Madison and Milwaukee, the counties of Milwaukee and Dane, the state of Wisconsin, and a number of other entities. The Madison Training Center is one of eight training centers in District 7 where members can receive their apprenticeship training. Gov. Evers’ 2025-27 Executive Budget included a $5.5 million proposed investment for the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program to continue to advance the state’s ability to recruit, train, and retain talented workers. Unfortunately, funding for the Registered Apprenticeship Program, as well as other supports to connect workers to jobs, including the highly successful Worker Connection Pilot Program and Youth-to-Registered Apprenticeship supports, were removed from the governor’s budget by the state’s Republican-controlled budget committee. A photos of the governor’s visit is available here.
Following this, Gov. Evers and Secretary Pechacek visited Wauwatosa East High School to learn more about their Certified Pre-Apprenticeship (CPA) Program. Recognized by DWD, this program prepares students for entry-level positions in the skilled building trades, offering them credit towards a Registered Apprenticeship program. The program is part of the larger Leading Academics and Unions through Construction (LAUNCH) program, which brings together multiple high schools and industry partners to enhance student skills, knowledge, and career pathways in the skilled building trades. Wauwatosa East High School partners with various local institutions, organizations, and businesses to offer an immersive experience that segues into their careers post-graduation. A photo and a video of the governor’s visit are available here and here.
An online version of this release is available here.
