Each year Wisconsin designates October as “Manufacturing Month” to celebrate the vital role this industry plays in our economy. Our rich work ethic and strong traditions have led to technological innovations that continue to shape our world. As a state, we need to continue to support and encourage growth in this key sector as we look towards our economic recovery from COVID-19.

In Wisconsin, manufacturing employs more than 475,000 people, accounting for 19 percent of the state’s total gross domestic product, equaling $63 billion a year. We are also one of the top 10 states for companies to house their manufacturing headquarters and have the 2nd largest manufacturing concentration in the United States.

With manufacturing being such an important economic driver, I’m pleased that in the last state budget the Legislature was able to protect the Manufacturing and Agriculture tax credit from being scaled back._ According to a study by the Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy, this program helps explain why manufacturing employment grew 2 percentage points faster in Wisconsin counties in contrast to other counties in our neighboring states. The study also said that the program accounted for nearly 21,000 manufacturing jobs in our state, with another 21,000 jobs being added to other sectors of our state’s economy. __ Also, as Chair of the Assembly Workforce Development Committee, I know that by investing in the manufacturing talent pipeline, we can ensure that the talent our businesses need will be coming from our state._ That is why I’m pleased to see my enthusiastic support for youth apprenticeship in the last state budget become law, which is helping thousands of students gain real-world experience before graduating school. Also, I voted to expand workforce training programs in our correctional facilities, which helps inmates graduate with manufacturing certificates before they are released, helping reduce recidivism rates. Moreover, we added more funding into vocational rehabilitation, which helps people overcome their employment barriers and find rewarding careers._ Another way this session I supported our manufacturers was to increase rural broadband internet access._ In addition, I authored legislation to help speed up the professional licensing process to ensure workers can get to work without having to wait for stifling bureaucratic red tape. It is innovative ideas like these that help Wisconsin move our economy forward. If you have other ideas that the state can do to help strengthen or expand our manufacturing base, please let me know at [email protected] gov.