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Monday, July 15, 2013

Workforce Skills Gap: There Was None Until They Got The Memo


In this one minute segment from the documentary "As Goes Janesville," you'll hear the president of the local economic development group, Forward Janesville, cackle over the thought that the loss of middle-class paying factory jobs at the unionized Janesville GM Plant will compel the remaining local workforce to accept lower pay. He suggests lower wages will work in the "plus column" for the business group’s purposes. Leaders of the notorious "Divide and Conquer" Rock County 5.0 group nod in agreement.

But of new importance in this segment to the state's fabricated "skills gap" mime that I overlooked the last time I posted on it, is the confident answer they gave to the question of how fast they could hire and train a workforce for a new manufacturing plant. Remember, these folks are essentially the area's chamber of commerce and operate as an ally and satellite to the WMC. Their response was "quickly," "easy." WATCH IT:

1 comment:

Jake formerly of the LP said...

And it's not like Wisconsin wages are too high. In fact, we have the lowest average manufacturing wage in the Midwest.

I'd go the other way, and argue that these WMC types are causing the problem, because they won't pay people enough to want to enter these skilled professions. But of course, the right-wing corporate crowd wouldn't DARE step up and take responsibility for a problem - they just expect their puppets in government to take care of it for them through tax cuts and union-busting.

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