Kay Plantes: Improving Wisconsin's Labor Force

Kay Plantes, a Madison area economist and strategy consultant, writes insightful articles about Wisconsin's future.  Last month Capital Region Business Journal published her article, Five key steps to improving future of Wisconsin's labor force

• FIRST, fund investments proven to help children growing up in poverty succeed in school. Alarmingly high rates of Wisconsin public school students live in poverty...
• SECOND, increase financial aid to enable more high school graduates and working adults to attend college...
• THIRD, accelerate creation of high-paying jobs...
• FOURTH, dramatically improve science and math training, while enhancing writing skills and appreciation of all liberal arts -- requirements for a knowledge-based economy...
• FIFTH, deploy a hidden asset: the recent UW graduates and alumni residing outside Wisconsin who are eager to live in Wisconsin, were high-paying jobs available...

When I decided to post about her article, I was wondering how I would re-order her list. I did not. It would be a waste of time. Not that we could debate which is most important. All five elements are so critical to success, that an re-ordering is pointless.

It is not her main point but she notes:

The foolhardiness of a state government that's allowed prison spending to absorb needed education resources then wastes three months in budgetary politics is not lost on this writer.