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March 20, 2013
I enjoyed sharing the excitement and spirit of Wisconsin's Tourism Industry when I attended the Governor's Conference on Tourism this week. I met with Secretary Stephanie Klett and our tourism partners from Rock and Walworth Counties. I also had an opportunity to view the Wisconsin Department of Tourism's newest promotional video directed by David Zuckerman: Travel Wisconsin's The Lake. Travel and tourism is an important industry in Wisconsin; $16 billion was contributed to our state's economy in 2011, and 1 in 13 jobs in Wisconsin is sustained by the tourism industry.
On March 13th, Governor Scott Walker signed into law 2013 Wisconsin Act 9. Act 9 establishes a workforce training grant program funded by $15 million over the next biennium for unemployed, unemployed and incumbent worker training. The state will share the cost of training with the applicant and grants will be competitively awarded. The bill also authorizes and funds the creation of a state-of-the-art Labor Market Information System (LMIS). Among many positive features, the LMIS will connect employers and prospective employees sooner; provide quality data to high schools, technical colleges, and workforce investment boards to help inform their decision making; and allow economic development professionals access to high level labor intelligence to assist with their business recruitment and retention efforts. Explore Wisconsin’s Hidden Secrets People who want to explore a wide variety of Wisconsin natural resources can begin signing up on March 20th for any of the more than 120 field trips being offered this summer and fall by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin in partnership with the DNR and other environmental educators. The field trips are guided by experts, including many DNR staff, who help people discover some of the best-kept secrets of state parks, state natural areas and other locations. A complete list of field trips can be downloaded from Natural Resources Foundation website: www.WisConservation.org. Work-based Learning Program Engages High School Students During a recent visit to Lakeside Manufacturing, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Reggie Newson praised Second Chance Partners for Education as an effective work-based learning model that engages high school students, providing them the education and training they need to pursue rewarding careers in manufacturing and other demand sectors. Second Chance Partners for Education, a certified Youth Apprenticeship (YA)program for well over a decade, specializes in engaging high school students who prefer a work-based learning environment to traditional classroom instruction and excel in a manufacturing setting. To help address the skills and knowledge gap, DWD has approved an expansion of the Second Chance Partners for Education, allowing it to operate as statewide YA Consortium and work directly with schools throughout the state. The expanded role in educating and training students will facilitate program management and help leverage additional partnerships with local manufacturers, school districts and technical colleges. During the 2011-2012 legislative session, I was proud to co-sponsor Senate bill 361, which was signed in to law as 2011 Wisconsin Act 157 allowing for expansion of the Second Chance Partners for Education Program. New Wisconsin State Highway Maps Available
Although global positioning devices are increasingly common vehicle accessories, there is still strong demand for printed, foldable highway maps. In conjunction with the state Department of Tourism, the Wisconsin DOT recently produced an updated state highway map. New features include bar codes that can be scanned with a smart phone to access information on travel conditions and state attractions. The map also reflects changes to highway alignments near Baraboo, Jefferson, Ft. Atkinson, Burlington, Watertown, Antigo, River Falls and Marshfield. Single, free highway maps are available at state tourism centers and at www.travelwisconsin.com.
My Capitol office at 209 North is here to help you with general inquiries as well as questions and concerns regarding legislative matters. Feel free to contact me or my staff. We are always ready to assist you in your needs. Please visit my website for press releases and other Capitol updates.
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