MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin is likely headed for a big workforce shortage.
Simply put: there aren’t enough young people here to replace the baby boomers who will turn 65 years old over the next decade.
Nick Novak with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) said he knows how hard businesses have struggled to attract and retain young people over the last decade.
“Here in Wisconsin, we don’t always like to brag about ourselves, but we need to get out there and have a campaign that is telling people about the great things that Wisconsin has to offer,” Novak said.
However, sharing Wisconsin’s story probably won’t be enough, since a solution will likely require some state spending too.
“We need to find ways to attract people, maybe through tax reform,” Novak said. “Having a drastic reduction on our income tax would make us more competitive with the Midwest, more competitive nationally. Look into education reforms, that’s expanding school choice, getting more STEM education into the schools, a variety of different things.”
