WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & PROJECTIONS |
Indicator 3 |
Developing the region’s existing workers and continually attracting talented individuals from outside the region are both important. But the orientation of all talent initiatives must start with the recognition that skilled workers have a choice of where to live and work. The Wausau region will prosper only if it can compete successfully for top-tier talent, including locally developed talent and skilled workers from outside the region.
The region’s major industries—manufacturing, healthcare, finance & insurance, and agriculture—depend on a steady influx of workers across the skill spectrum that, for the foreseeable future, cannot be supplied by remote talent. This includes everything from the entry-level labor required by many small to mid-size manufacturers to the highly skilled engineers and specialty physicians needed to support the region’s advanced manufacturers and healthcare organizations.
There is industry demand for jobs requiring higher education degrees, but in Marathon County there is shortage of qualified higher education professionals.
There is also a growing trend to hire entry-level workers and train them to develop skills that will make them successful on the job. Getting the education and skill building you need to do the job is just as important and is a viable alternative to attaining a higher education degree.
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Low Skill
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High school or less |
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Middle Skill
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More than high school, less
than four years of college
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High Skill
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Four-year degree or above |