Growing Our Economy

Thursday morning I returned home from a two-day trip to Washington D.C. after meeting with congressional members from the Wisconsin delegation. Our conversations focused on our combined efforts to continue growing the economy in Wisconsin.

During the visit I had the opportunity to meet with Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner, Sean Duffy, Mike Gallagher, Glenn Grothman and House Speaker Paul Ryan. The members expressed their shared desire to bring more jobs and higher wages to Wisconsin.

Over the last several years, Wisconsin has seen tremendous job growth, increased wages and a labor force participation rate that consistently ranks higher than most of the country. Last week we celebrated news from the Department of Workforce Development that our unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, the lowest mark since 2000; but our work isn’t done. We need to continue reducing burdensome regulations that slow job growth and hurt wages. Working together with our congressional leaders we will continue to strengthen our economy and move Wisconsin Forward. 

Have a great week!

Fab Lab Day

This week Wisconsin celebrated Fab Lab Day by awarding fab lab grants to 21 school districts across the state. South Milwaukee High School received a $25,000 grant to expand their fab lab.

Fabrication Laboratories, commonly referred to as “fab labs,” are school workshops where students are exposed to a variety of tools and machines commonly used in science, technology, engineering and manufacturing related fields. Many fab labs are equipped with 3D printers, laser engravers and other machines operated through computers.

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit South Milwaukee High School and witness firsthand the impressive skills our students are developing through the curriculum and use of the school’s fab lab.

The fab lab grants were established to help students develop skills needed for jobs of the future. Many jobs in the skilled trades and manufacturing industries go unfilled because employers struggle to find workers with the required skillset.

Over the last two years the state has contributed $1.1 million to fab labs with an additional $1 million in the governor’s budget recommendations. Wisconsin has 35 fab labs throughout the state; more than all other states combined.