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Secretary emphasizes change

The state secretary of the Department of Workforce Development spoke to University of Wisconsin social work graduate students Monday about the commitment to create change despite challenges posed by Wisconsin’s slowing economy.

Secretary Roberta Gassman currently serves in the cabinet of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, leading the Department of Workforce Development in strengthening Wisconsin’s work force and aiming to develop workers’ skills and rights.

“I grew up very much a child of the 1960s and a believer in advocacy and social change,” said Gassman.

In her early career, Gassman worked on civil rights — including the women’s rights movement, child care and domestic abuse — and building the Madison community through education.

“My advice is not to let attitudes and misinformation lead people astray,” she said. Gassman added the biggest lessons she learned were to take chances, demonstrate confidence, network and volunteer.

After the speech, students debated whether confidence alone is enough to tip the scale during a job interview.

“It takes a minute to impress someone,” said Sarah Patterson, a second-year graduate student in social work.

However, other students said it takes a long time to cultivate professional relationships.

Students in the social work seminar will graduate in May and were eager to hear Gassman talk about current job prospects in social work and public policy.

According to Gassman, her job includes following the Wisconsin Idea to ensure the borders of the university extend to the borders of the state and knowledge brought into the state by the university leads to skills and independence of individual workers.

“Our pay has lagged behind other states, and we have a lower level of college graduation rates,” Gassman said.

Gassman added Doyle has recently released an agenda to change this pattern. The governor has released two previous agendas that included recommendations for improving the workforce and economy, and Gassman said almost all of these recommendations have already been implemented.

 Doyle’s new agenda focuses on encouraging students and Wisconsin residents to stay and work in Wisconsin to contribute the skills they have gained to the state.

According to Gassman, while the nation faces “challenging times,” Wisconsin is in a state of labor shortage. Despite a 2 percent lag in Wisconsin’s economy, Gassman said baby boomers are aging so there are jobs to fill within the state.

 “I feel like in our generation it’s harder to enact change than in previous generations,” said second-year graduate student Kari Ehrhardt. “But [Gassman] is a very positive and inspiring role model for young women.”

Social work lecturer Severa Austin countered that the current generation still has the capacity to create change.

“It can and will happen,” Austin said.