Thousands of workers in Wisconsin lack the training or resources to attain higher-paying jobs, according to a report released Tuesday.
The report by the Center on Wisconsin Strategy said almost 300,000 adult residents in the state lack high school diplomas. Many uneducated residents do not seek assistance, according to the report, with only 26,803 using state services to earn a degree later in life.
COWS Associate Director Laura Dresser said Hispanic and black residents in the state are not as likely to have high school degrees as other ethnic groups.
According to the report, around half of minority families in the state are low-income, with 23 percent of all families in low-income brackets.
Dresser said rural residents are also less likely to hold high school degrees than non-rural residents.
The problem coincides with many high-paying jobs facing shortages of educated workers, according to the report.
The report said industries like health care, manufacturing and information technology all lack enough skilled workers.
Many residents are also retiring soon, Dresser said, which will lead to a further scarcity of skilled workers.
Dresser said possible solutions include helping workers with access to the state technical college system, along with making the system more flexible by adding more night and off-site classes.
The state budget deficit and a possible national economic recession might affect how quickly the report recommendations are implemented, according to Dresser.
A lot of the longer-term issues do get put on the back-burner [during a recession],"" Dresser said.
She said while the financial troubles are a reality, the state should also be focused on being competitive in the future by educating workers.
The Center on Wisconsin Strategy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization based on campus that focuses on economic and standard of living issues.
