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Future Wisconsin Project

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WMC Foundation’s The Future Wisconsin Project is a long-term strategic plan for Wisconsin aimed at creating sustained economic growth. Throughout the lifetime of the project, WMC Foundation has conducted research amongst Wisconsin employers, educators and government leaders to identify the greatest challenges facing Wisconsin’s economy, and solutions to drive the state forward. Check out all of the Future Wisconsin Project’s economic reports below:

EDUCATING OUR FUTURE

Wisconsin businesses and other stakeholders have put an emphasis on education in recent years – understanding the next generation of workers will come from the state’s K-12 schools.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin is not making the grade when it comes to preparing young people. According to the Summer 2023 edition of the Wisconsin Employer Survey, nearly three-quarters of the state’s businesses believe students graduating from the public K-12 system are not prepared for the workforce. In fact, more than half of students in Wisconsin schools cannot read or do math at grade level.

In an effort to improve Wisconsin’s educational and economic outcomes, this report highlights pain points in the current system. In addition, it provides best practices from around Wisconsin that can be replicated and offers ideas on how to increase the number of graduates who are workforce and college ready.

Wisconsin's Demographic Dilemma

New data shows Wisconsin is one of 14 states with median age over 40.

In addition to being one of the oldest states in the country, the situation is not improving. Wisconsin’s population under the age of five shrunk by 10.1 percent from 2010 to 2020, while the population of people ages 65-84 has expanded by 41.7 percent.

The persistent workforce shortage is being driven by a population gap that has existed for many years. Simply, there are not enough people living in Wisconsin to fill all the available jobs now and in the future. As the report explains, Wisconsin must attract more people into its borders because the state is not naturally growing the population needed to match economic growth.

EDUCATION REFORM

A new poll conducted by WMC Foundation showed Wisconsinites overwhelmingly believe there should be equitable funding for public, choice and charter schools.

Currently, public schools receive roughly $15,000 per student from Wisconsin taxpayers. However, if a family chooses to send their child to a choice or charter school, that funding drops to roughly $9,000 on average. When asked about the proposal to narrow the funding gap between the different types of schools, 59 percent of respondents said they would support such a bill.

While the poll found strong support for narrowing the funding gap, a majority also believes funding should be equal for all school types. Fifty-six percent of Wisconsinites believe funding for choice and charter schools should be equal to what public schools receive.

In addition to funding equity, the poll also found strong support for school choice. Seventy percent of respondents said they support school choice, including a majority Republicans, Independents and Democrats.

Wisconsin 2035

WMC Foundation’s Future Wisconsin Project released its “Wisconsin 2035” report to detail the challenges facing Wisconsin’s business community and propose potential solutions for long-term economic growth. The new publication identifies the workforce shortage as the biggest problem facing Wisconsin’s business community. The workforce shortage must be tackled in three ways: attraction, retention and expansion.

WMC Foundation announced its focus on a long-term strategic plan for Wisconsin aimed at creating sustained economic growth in 2014. Since then, WMC Foundation has been devoted to conducting research amongst employers throughout Wisconsin to better understand the business community’s concerns about the labor shortage and map out potential solutions.

The report highlights many solutions to Wisconsin’s workforce shortage:

Talent Attraction – Wisconsin must invest in a talent attraction campaign
Tax Reform – Wisconsin must lower taxes to attract more businesses and individuals to the state
Education Reform – Wisconsin must invest in more STEM and technical education programs

Revitalizing Rural Wisconsin

WMC Foundation’s Future Wisconsin Project released its “Revitalizing Rural Wisconsin” report in an effort to bring attention to policies and ideas that can promote economic growth and workforce development in rural Wisconsin. The new publication identifies a number of economic challenges facing rural Wisconsin and provides strategies and ideas that can help revitalize portions of the Badger State outside of metropolitan areas like Milwaukee and Madison.

WMC Foundation announced its focus on rural prosperity at its annual Future Wisconsin Summit in December 2019. Following the Summit, WMC Foundation conducted research amongst employers throughout rural Wisconsin to better understand the business community’s concerns and discuss potential solutions.

The report highlights five challenges facing rural Wisconsin:

Limited workforce availability
Gaps in broadband
Stress on legacy industries
Lack of new housing
Affordability of healthcare

Wisconsin Workforce Competitiveness Evaluation

WMC Foundation’s Future Wisconsin Project released its “Wisconsin Workforce Competitiveness Evaluation” report in an effort to draw attention to the workforce shortage as a primary threat to Wisconsin’s economic success. The new publication identifies the strengths and weaknesses of Wisconsin’s workforce and solutions on how to improve workforce development.

WMC Foundation conducted research amongst employers and educators throughout Wisconsin to better understand the skills gap in the state. The “Wisconsin Workforce Competitiveness Evaluation” proposed many solutions including: attracting talent to grow the workforce and expanding technical education programs to properly prepare individuals to enter the workforce.

The report highlights many solutions to Wisconsin’s skills gap and workforce shortage:

Talent Attraction
Upskill Existing Workers
Improve Career Pathways
Promote Apprenticeships and Work-Based Learning for Students
Promote Career Awareness & Reach Disconnected Groups

Wisconsin State of Mind: A National Perception Study

WMC Foundation’s Future Wisconsin Project released its “Wisconsin State of Mind: A National Perception Study” report in an effort to bring attention to the national perception of Wisconsin and ways to improve that perception to attract more workers to the state. The publication identified Wisconsin as being nationally perceived as a leader in education and all around safety. The report also noted that Wisconsin is perceived to: lack diversity, only offer agricultural job opportunities, and have a lower quality of living due to the colder climate.

WMC Foundation has been devoted to conducting research amongst all stakeholders of the economy to identify the economic challenges Wisconsin faces and provide solutions to continue moving the state forward.

The report revealed that Wisconsin needs to improve on:

Marketing job opportunities
Marketing the diverse culture of the state
Marketing high-quality living conditions despite the climate

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