As the state legislature goes through the biennial budget process, the university system of Wisconsin is trying to recruit support from the business community for its budget demand.
The UW system is looking for approximately $ 855 million over two years from the state and sought support for that funding during a discussion with Hoan group members, a private group with about 160 business and community members in the Milwaukee and Madison area.
“To win the struggle for talent, we need to do better,” said Jay Rothman, president of the UW system.
“Yes, that’s a lot of money. On the other hand, this would lead us to the average level of funds nationwide. This makes Wisconsin in ‘average’. In circumstances, I don’t think it’s an unreasonable question. “
The UW system and the Republican -controlled legislature are located in a table tennis match, ping fund numbers until they are signed by the governor. This year the UW system is making its issue for business leaders and local trade chambers why money should be.
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“Without it, and it is painful for me to say, access and affordability will be in danger,” Rothman said.
Lack of workers a major concern for Wisconsin businesses
For the last few years Wisconsin’s businesses have had to account for a lack of worker when planning the future. It is likely that the lack of a worker will continue for the next few years and is one of the biggest challenges for businesses.
Rothman said that 19 different local trade chambers and business organizations have signed a letter of support for the UW system, along with 800 support signatures from other business leaders and community organizations.
This is not the first time the UW system has requested that the business community support an ambitious project. A similar strategy was used to pay the construction of the new engineering building of the new Wisconsin-Madison University.
The panel included the chairman of graduates from UW System Cavalier Johnson and the Milwaukee District executive David Crowley, along with Tina Chang, CEO of Syslog, a IT counseling and service firm and Anne Norman, Chief Marketing and Product Strategy for UW Credit Union,
“I think the UW system has tremendous, tremendous potential to help us continue to grow,” Johnson said.
Chang said the UW system “transcends the private sector, the public sector, as well as the big and small businesses, and we have to embrace it better.”
“And that’s the challenge,” Chang said.
Part of that hug, Chang said, should include “small business power”.
“We have initiatives that continue to continue big companies players,” Chang said. “But when you look at the state of Wisconsin, most businesses here are 90 percent percent small businesses.”
Norman called the UW system “the backbone of the development of our talent”.
“The way the UW credit union is based on finding talent is within this state,” Norman said. “We do not recruit from overseas, typically because we have so much talent here.”
Norman highlighted the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s personal finance program as an example of a direct impact that the university has on its graduates.
“It is a pipeline for non -traditional students to complete a degree and then have a truly excellent family work that support the college,” Norman said.
Norman added the UW Credit Union operates branches in six UW camps across the state and offers writing classes -financial reads not only with college students, but with high school and younger school.
“We are starting conversations with our campuses that we have had many decades of relationships with how to write financial literacy to students across the state,” Norman said.