Tomah Chamber & Visitors Center Newsletter November2018

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER CHAMBER CHATTER November 2018 WORKFORCE CHALLENGES It’s no secret that there is a significant shortage of people to fill job openings, not just in our area, but the whole state. Wisconsin is at a record low 2.8% unemployment rate. The workforce is aging and with many retiring and less applying, we’re coming up short. Workforce agencies are traveling out of the state to recruit more people to Wisconsin as well at working to attract more veterans to the workforce. Tomah is feeling the struggle of looking for staff to fill many vacant positions, as well. The Tomah Chamber and Visitor Center, among others in our community, is putting forth effort to help our city and surrounding area gain an edge in this current environment. In October, the Tomah Chamber and Visitor Center hosted a manufacturing tour showcasing General Stamping and Sheet Metal, Usemco and Meadow Valley Log Homes. The tour was a successful event that allowed participants to see the inside workings of our area manufacturers and demonstrate the variety of jobs, training and career pathways that the companies offer. November 1, 2018 is the Workforce Summit with the Monroe County Workforce Alliance and International Trade, Business & Economic Development Council (ITBEC). A variety of speakers will come together at the Best Western Tomah to present on topics such as employee retention, recruitment, creating a positive work environment and the job market. All of these topics are helpful to human resource staff, business owners and recruiters in our area. The Tomah High School offers career readiness courses for students to gain the skills needed to earn a secure job upon graduation or use that foundation to have an upper hand as they move on to a post-high school institution. While we are certainly experiencing a shortage of people to fill jobs, our area is working hard to prepare and recruit the next generation employee and shifting the paradigm of the workforce. 1