Senator Baldwin Comes to Plover to Research Skills Gap
By Patrick Lynn
Senator Tammy Baldwin came to Plover Monday as research for a piece of legislation aimed as training and helping displaced workers.
Baldwin visited Pointe Precision- a machine shop specializing in aerospace and other specialized equipment- in an effort to help improve the Workforce Investment Act. The act sets money aside the aid workers improve their skills and find work in skilled trades.
“This is an important piece of legislation when there are displacements in our economy,” Baldwin said. “When we see factories close, when we see factories off- shored, and we need to engage in helping people update their skills and find employment matches in their home communities.”
Baldwin says during her travels to other similar manufacturing businesses statewide, employers have said there is a need to train entry level workers so they can advance in their chosen careers. She said those sentiments “really underscores” the importance of renewing the Workforce Investment Act.
She added available funding would be used to “help entry level workers in manufacturing settings, and other settings for that matter, be able to upgrade their skills so that this can be a career long commitment to a company if they desire.
According to Baldwin, the Workforce Investment Act could come to the Senate floor this fall for discussion and a possible vote. If renewed, she said over 5300 displaced workers in Central Wisconsin could benefit from skills training.