Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle unveiled a new job-creation initiative Wednesday in an effort to address the state's growing need for workers capable of filling jobs in emerging high-tech industries.
"We need to be focused on making sure that we have a highly trained and highly skilled workforce," Doyle spokesperson Matt Canter said in an interview with The Badger Herald.
In addition to training 36,000 workers for high-tech jobs, the "Jobs for the Future" initiative calls for continued investment in stem-cell research and renewable energy, doubled funding for state youth apprenticeship programs and tougher high school graduation standards.
The initiative also calls for graduation requirements to include a minimum of three years of science and three years of math. Currently, two years of each are required.
Bill Gras, communications coordinator for Madison Area Technical College, said the new initiative is consistent with MATC's goals.
"Anything that makes [students] when they graduate from high school better prepared to handle college coursework … that's going to help those students succeed at the college level and get those better, high-paying jobs," Gras said.
Canter added the additional funding from the state will allow technical colleges to create partnerships with private companies that can offer training in emerging biotechnology to students.
The initiative also directs $5 million in state Department of Commerce funding to the recruitment of stem-cell research companies to Wisconsin.
While gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., remains opposed to any taxpayer dollars going toward research that could destroy human embryos, he does acknowledge the disease-curing potential of stem-cell research.
"He has a plan that would provide grants to researchers to conduct stem-cell research," Green's campaign spokesperson Luke Punzenberger said.
Green's plan includes a $25 million investment over four years that would fund peer-reviewed research into technologies that would create stem-cell lines without destroying human embryos.
The University of Wisconsin has been a pioneer of stem-cell research since UW biology professor James Thompson isolated the first human embryonic stem-cell line in 1998.
"Stem cell [research] is obviously very political, but it's an extraordinary opportunity to capitalize on the strength of research that's being done by [Thompson] and so on," UW education professor Clifton Conrad said.
Conrad also stressed the benefits of having a well-educated population, saying highly educated people are more likely to vote, be involved in civic organizations and be politically active.
And although Wisconsin schools typically rank among the highest in the nation, Canter said Doyle feels like the state could still do more.
"With this investment, we are going to ensure that we have the kind of trained and skilled workforce to fill the jobs of the future."
