Top business, economic development thought leaders contribute to M7 Forum on Talent

“The regions that get out in front and identify how to get more people not only into the workforce but prepared for the jobs of the future, will be the leaders in both workforce AND economic development. That’s where we want to be."

GOV. SCOTT WALKER

More than 200 business people and representatives from the economic development, education, and workforce development communities attended the second annual Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Forum on June 6. The event was designed to inform and inspire new solutions to the talent shortage.

Governor Scott Walker kicked off the day by sharing a stunning and sobering statistic: Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has reached an all-time low of 2.8 percent. While more people in Wisconsin are employed than ever before, there are currently more jobs than people to fill them. And there remains a disparity in employment in Milwaukee’s central city with too many people left on the sidelines of our growing economy.

“The regions that get out in front and identify how to get more people not only into the workforce but prepared for the jobs of the future, will be the leaders in both workforce AND economic development. That’s where we want to be,” said Gov. Walker.

Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America, gave a keynote presentation on “2018: From Rust Belt to Brain Belt,” providing greater detail on the challenges facing Wisconsin employers. Due to limited talent supply, increasing demand and changing job types, “We have to shift from being consumers of labor to creators of talent,” Frankiewicz said. She outlined a four-part, simultaneous strategy for businesses to survive and thrive:

• BUY: Share your full value proposition to attract talent: consider extra perks like sign-on bonuses, tuition reimbursement
• BORROW: Leverage the independent workforce; consider alternative shifts, splitting jobs
• BUILD: Define emerging roles, especially in digital manufacturing, and create specialized training for in-demand skills and future needs
• BOUNCE: Create your workforce of tomorrow from your workforce of today: reskill and upskill in your own company, be agile and adapt jobs to new business models, considering that 65% of Generation Z will perform jobs that do not exist.
  
  

Functions likely to see the largest increase/decrease in headcount in the next two years

65 of Gen Z will perform jobs that DO NOT EXIST yet

The day’s lineup of speakers included: Mike Laszkiewicz,  Rockwell Automation ; Bill Avery, Direct Supply; Raymone Jackson, Northwestern Mutual; and a team from Kansas City sharing their best practices on talent development and attraction as part of the region’s KC Rising economic growth initiative.

>>Learn more about the Milwaukee 7 Economic Development Partnership