ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Visited Fox Valley to Celebrate Securing Over $4.6 Million to Support Workforce Development

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) stopped in Menasha to meet with the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board to highlight the over $4.6 million she brought home to expand opportunities for job seekers to get the training they need to land a good-paying job, grow Wisconsin’s skilled workforce, and benefit local employers and businesses. Senator Baldwin also met with Marathon County law enforcement and public safety leaders in Wausau to discuss their collaborative work to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis in Wisconsin.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Baldwin successfully secured $4,675,000 in last year’s annual government funding legislation to support the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board with new approaches to re-engage out-of-work individuals and help them access training, upskilling, and job services. Fox Valley will use the funding, in partnership with six other workforce development boards across the state, to develop and apply new approaches to engaging and serving 500 people.

“In Wisconsin, we’re building an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. By investing in workforce training, we can help folks get the education and experience they need to unlock new opportunities in good-paying careers,” said Senator Baldwin. “I was proud to secure this funding to help ensure folks have the tools and resources they need to land a job that provides them stability, supports their families, and contributes to our Made in Wisconsin economy for years to come.”

“As the labor landscape is quickly changing, the workforce development boards in Wisconsin are looking for new ways to better reach and serve previously underserved jobseekers to meet the need of employers facing labor shortages,” said Anthony Snyder, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board. “These dollars will be used to move all Wisconsin workforce boards toward a human-centered design focus in how we find and work with these job seekers. By the end of the project, hundreds of thousands of workers statewide will benefit from a new and innovative way of doing business with their local workforce board, which benefits us all.”

Senator Baldwin also visited Wausau to meet with Marathon County public safety officials and first responders to discuss their work to combat the opioid and fentanyl crisis. During the meeting, Senator Baldwin heard from local leaders about the impacts of fentanyl and discussed her work to pass the FEND Off Fentanyl Act to stem the flow of the drug from coming into the U.S. by cracking down on Chinese chemical suppliers and Mexican cartels. Senator Baldwin also wrote an annual funding bill that delivers $4.6 billion nationwide to support substance use prevention and treatment efforts.

“I’ve heard from too many Wisconsin families who have an empty seat at the dinner table because of the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Enough is enough, and I’m committed to working with public safety leaders like the ones here in Marathon County to turn the tide on this epidemic and save families the heartache of losing a loved one too soon because of an overdose or poisoning,” said Senator Baldwin.

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