Education and Workforce Development
A healthy economy for Milwaukee will be made up of trained, skilled workers who meet the needs of local employers and provide incentives for businesses to relocate or expand here.
Since I took office in 2004, my Administration has leveraged more than 10,000 jobs. But we must do more.
In the past, Milwaukee has not been aggressive in workforce development. Those times are gone.
Acting on the recommendations of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Public Policy Forum, I have asked for and received the designation from the Governor for the City to be the lead agency for workforce in our region. The City takes over on July 1.
Currently, 22 out of the 25 top cities in the U.S. operate their workforce initiatives in conjunction with the Mayor's office. The reason is clear: Leadership, plain and simple.
I have developed a plan to mobilize the City as a leader in workforce development that will energize our community for workforce excellence. And, I have recruited back to Milwaukee a nationally recognized leader in workforce and economic development, Donald Sykes. Mr. Sykes will serve as the Director of the new Mayor's Office of Workforce Development. To contact the office, click here.
My goals for this office are to create more family-supporting jobs, help businesses grow and expand in Milwaukee and strengthen our regional economy.
In addition to Donald Sykes, I have appointed a number of business, labor and community leaders to serve on the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development Transition Team:
Phil Neuenfeldt, AFL-CIO
Dan Bader, Helen Bader Foundation
Julia Taylor, Greater Milwaukee Committee
Lupe Martinez, UMOS
Rev. Louis Sibley, MICAH
Tim Sullivan, CEO, Bucyrus International
Vince Martin, Retired
Dr. Darnell Cole, MATC
Joseph Tucker, MMAC
Melanie Holmes, Manpower
Milwaukee County Supervisor Willie Johnson, Jr.
Howard Snyder, Community Economic Development Corp.
Wallace White, Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewage District
Thelma Sias, WE Energies
Dennis Conta, Conta & Associates
Milwaukee Alderman Willie Wade
Milwaukee Alderman Ashanti Hamilton
Carol Sample, Spotted Eagle High School
John Hiller, Private Industry Council
Douglas Jansson, Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The transition team will closely examine programming, finances and staffing levels of the current operation and conduct a thorough analysis of its effectiveness.