Wisconsin's new Department of Workforce Development Secretary says the need for a quality workforce is a key issue and he's putting a priority there.
Former legislator Caleb Frostman has been traveling the Northwoods and he says he's hearing some common themes from employers...
"...We'd like to answer the question, 'what is it that attracts and retains people in Wisconsin, whether that's workers, entrepreneurs, current or future small business owners, what attract people to Wisconsin? The answer has been quality communities. The quality of the schools, what's the broadband like in that area, if we want to attract entrepreneurs in the rural areas, compete on a global basis, they have to have adequate bandwith, what are the roads like, is there clean water? That's what we've been trying to address...."
While the Evers Administration has presented a budget with a different set of priorities than the Walker Administration and majority Republicans in the legislature, Frostman is hopeful common ground can be found...
"...I do feel really grateful and fortunate that at DWD our goals of helping folks find work, living wage work, those goals are bipartisan. So even though our philosophies may differ on how to get there in certain instances I'm really happy that the Republican colleagues I've talked to, the Democratic colleagues I've talked to they want to focus on things like reentry work for former offenders, the cost of child care. I hope we'll find some common ground..."
Frostman says he supporting an increase in the minimum wage, saying right now people earning minimum wage working 40 hours per week are still below the federal poverty line. He says they would like to get people with crimes in their background trained and into the workforce instead of sitting on the sidelines.
Frostman is on the state Technical College board and says the states technical colleges have a key role in training and building the workforce.
