Chamber to Host Call-to-Action Workforce 2036 Event in May

Based on the results of the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce’s recent member survey, found below, the primary challenge facing businesses in the region is clear. Local businesses want to grow revenue in a market where, according to the survey, nearly two-thirds of businesses anticipate increased demand, but without a corresponding increase in workforce.

With this challenge in mind, the Chamber is hosting a Workforce 2036 event which will begin at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13 at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau. Members are invited to attend this high-impact, call-to-action program which will feature insights from economist Dennis Winters. Attendees will gain a clear, data-driven look at where our workforce is headed and what it means for the local economy over the next decade.

“The regions that win the next decade will be the ones who build the strongest workforce, together,” said Dave Eckmann, President and CEO of the Chamber.

“Not surprisingly, talent attraction emerged in this survey as the top barrier to growth in our region,” said Eckmann. “Local businesses feel this pressure every day. Open roles stay open, labor costs rise and our region’s talent pool continues to shrink. But the business community is not alone in this challenge.”

The Chamber will debut the Greater Wausau Workforce Alliance at this event. This new, collaborative initiative is designed to bring employers, educators, workforce development partners, those that serve human development and community leaders together to tackle our region’s talent challenges head-on.

“If you are a human resources leader in our region, you’re not just managing people, you’re carrying the weight of your organization’s future,” said Eckmann. “Importantly, you won’t have to solve this alone.”

To learn more about the Workforce 2036 event and to register, visit WausauChamber.com. This is a complimentary event for Chamber members and invited stakeholders.

To view the results of the survey which was distributed earlier this year, flip through the pages of the report below or download it here.