Education

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
The Department of Public Instruction is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. The department is headed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a nonpartisan, constitutional officer elected every four years. The agency was created in 1848, the year Wisconsin attained statehood, when the state constitution provided for the establishment of local school districts and a free education for all children in the state.

Education in Wisconsin
Listing of Agencies, Schools and Resources in Wisconsin.

FAQs about Education in Wisconsin
The state of Wisconsin answers commonly asked questions about education in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Educational Approval Board
The Wisconsin Educational Approval Board is a postsecondary education agency that is charged with evaluating and approving private trade, technical, career, distance learning, and degree-granting schools; collecting and disseminating student outcome and satisfaction information from schools; performing annual reviews of schools; conducting regular on-site evaluations of schools; holding schools accountable for improving their performance and effectiveness; and supporting options for innovative and quality programs offered by schools.

Contact: David C. Dies, Executive Secretary
30 West Mifflin Street, 9th Floor
P.O. Box 8696
Madison, WI 53708-8696
608.266.1996; David.Dies@eab.state.wi.us

University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is one of the largest systems of public higher education in the country, serving more than 175,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide. The UW System is made up of 13 four-year universities, 13 freshman-sophomore UW Colleges campuses, and statewide UW Extension.

Contact: Kevin P. Reilly, President
1720 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608.262.2321; kreilly@uwsa.edu
Rita Sears, Special Assistant to the President, rsears@uwsa.edu

UW Madison Office of Corporate Relations
The UW Madison Office of Corporate Relations serves as the front door to university resources for business and industry. It focuses on providing service to companies in the by recruiting UW Madison graduates and interns; providing executive education and professional development; accessing faculty and staff expertise; licensing technology; enhancing global competency; and fostering entrepreneurship.

Contact: Charles B. Hoslet, Senior Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Managing Director
455 Science Drive, Suite 230
Madison, WI 53711-1077
608.263.2840, hoslet@ocr.wisc.edu

UW System Growth Agenda for Wisconsin
The Growth Agenda for Wisconsin is the UW System’s vision to help the state of Wisconsin and its citizens thrive in the 21st-century, innovation economy. The plan has three goals: to develop the state’s human potential, to create new Wisconsin jobs, and to help strengthen local communities.

Wisconsin Technical College System
The Wisconsin Technical College System provides the state with the critical, essential technical occupations we all rely on. The systems’ 16 colleges equip graduates with real world, hands-on experience they apply to specific occupations that provide us all with security and quality of life. The Technical Colleges stimulate local economic development by providing a well-educated workforce based solely on the occupational needs of local business and industry.

Contact: Daniel Clancy, President
4622 University Avenue (street address)
P.O. Box 7874
Madison, WI 53707-7874
608.266.7983; daniel.clancy@wtcsystem.edu

Wisconsin’s Private Colleges and Universities
Links to Wisconsin’s 20 private colleges and universities.

Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
The Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities is an organization of the 20 independent (or private) institutions of higher learning in Wisconsin. Membership is limited to accredited, nonprofit, four-year baccalaureate and graduate institutions. The presidents of these institutions lead WAICU as its board of directors. All of WAICU's programs are directed to support educational opportunity.

Contact: Rolf Wegenke, Ph.D., President and CEO
22 W. Washington Ave, Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703-2723
608.256.7761, ext. 222; rolf.wegenke@waicu.org

2007-2008 State of Wisconsin Blue Book-Education in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Blue Book is complied by the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. This portion of the Blue Book highlights education in Wisconsin, including universities and colleges; technical colleges; elementary and secondary schools; teachers; educational alternatives; educational expenditures; and educational attainment.

Mortarboards, Paychecks and Crystal Balls: The Link Between Education and Wisconsin’s Labor Force need to get PDF from Wisconsin Way/economic development
October 2002-Research conducted on the link between education and Wisconsin’s labor force by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

New Partners in the Global Marketplace: The Role of Education and Wisconsin's Labor Force need to get PDF from Wisconsin Way/economic development
December 2000-This report was written by two faculty members from College of Letters and Science at UW Milwaukee for the Wisconsin Economic Summit.

Work Force Development

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is a state agency charged with building and strengthening Wisconsin's workforce in the 21st century and beyond. The Department's primary responsibilities include providing job services, training and employment assistance to people looking for work, at the same time as it works with employers on finding the necessary workers to fill current job openings.

Information for Workforce Development Areas and for individual counties within those areas, including the most recent Workforce Observation, Regional Profile, Regional Projections and County Profiles is available by visiting Office of Economic Advisors-Workforce Development Areas.

Contact: Roberta Gassman, Secretary
201 E. Washington Avenue
GEF-1, Room A400
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707
608.266.3131; roberta.gassman@dwd.state.wi.us

Wisconsin Workforce Investment Act Administration
Contact the Wisconsin Workforce Investment Act Administration, including workforce development directors, chief local elected officials and workforce development board chairs.

Wisconsin Workforce Development Area Directors
Contact information for Wisconsin’s 11 workforce development regional directors.

The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin serves a six-county area to make positive economic change in the local area and beyond. It is a one-stop workforce development connection for businesses, workers and leaders in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties.

Contact: Pat (Patricia) Schramm, Executive Director
3513 Anderson St #104
Madison, WI 53704
608.249.9001

The North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
The North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board is a public/private partnership between government and business that plans, administers and coordinates Workforce Investment Act employment and training programs for adults and youth in the North Central Wisconsin counties of Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Vilas and Wood. This region is known as Workforce Development Area 6.

Contact: Sally Cutler, Executive Director
1121 West Grand Avenue
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-3349
715.422.4720; scutler@ncwwdb.org

The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, Inc. is a business-lead, nonprofit partnership of public and private-sector organizations from a variety of industries and community-based systems. As one of Wisconsin’s 11 local boards, the WDB is committed to building a dynamic workforce development system that cultivates economic growth and ensures continued employment for Western Wisconsin. The Board is responsible for administering federal Workforce Investment Act funding for the region; WIA funds help youth, adult and dislocated workers obtain gainful employment in a demand-driven industry.

Contact: Jerry Hanoski, Executive Director
402 N. 8th Street, 3rd Floor (street address)
P.O. Box 2908
La Crosse, WI 54602-2908
608.785.9938; HanoskiJ@workforceconnections.org

Workforce Connections, Inc.
Workforce Connections, Inc., a private nonprofit 501 (c) 3 corporation, provides opportunities for individuals who have experienced barriers to obtaining and maintaining meaningful employment since 1983. It assists job seekers, laid-off workers and youth with career planning, job search assistance and skills training and operates in 13 counties in Wisconsin.

Contact: Jerry Hanoski, Executive Director
(see contact information under The Western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board)

Southeast Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
The Southeast Workforce Development Area is composed of three counties: Kenosha, Racine and Walworth Counties.

Contact: Elizabeth (Beth) Norris, Coordinator
c/o UW-P/Tallent Hall/CCP
900 Wood Road, PO Box 2000
Kenosha, WI 53141-2000
262.595.2754; norris@uwp.edu
Racine Phone: 262.638.6622

Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board
The Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, Inc, formerly the Private Industry Council of Milwaukee County, Inc. has a long history of linking employers and job seekers. In partnership with local leaders from government, private industry and labor, MAWIB develops workforce solutions that meet and anticipate regional economic development needs. It creates and manages a focused education, training and employment system.

Contact: Donald Sykes, CEO and President
2338 North 27th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210
414.270. 1717, Don.Sykes@milwaukeewib.org;

Note: for all business correspondence and e-mails copy:
Mark Kessenich, Director of Planning & Development
414.270.1773; Mark.Kessenich@milwaukeewib.org
Sharron Briggs, Executive Assistant to the CEO
414.270.1729; Sharron.Briggs@milwaukeewib.org

Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Counties Workforce Development Board
The W-O-W Workforce Development Board is one of Wisconsin's eleven regional boards established by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The W-O-W Workforce Development Board is a private, nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing the highest quality, most effective workforce development services possible to the residents and businesses of Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington Counties, Wisconsin.

Contact: Francisco Sanchez, President
892 Main Street, Suite A
Pewaukee, WI 53072-5809
262.695.7888; fsanchez@wctc.edu

The Fox Valley Workforce Development Board
The Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, Inc. functions as a catalyst between public and private partnerships. By anticipating and developing solutions for tomorrow, its goal is to achieve an environment of accessible, high-quality, efficient and affordable training, and employment opportunities for today.

Contact: Cheryl Welch, Executive Administrator
1401 McMahon Drive
Neenah, WI 54956
920.720.5600; cwelch@fvwdb.com

The Bay Area Workforce Development Board
The Bay Area Workforce Development Board, Inc., consisting of selected community representatives, develops a skilled workforce by strategically allocating and coordinating resources to address community needs by working through others for the benefit of all.

Contact: James Golembeski, Executive Director
317 W. Walnut Street
Green Bay, WI 54303
920.431.4102; jgolembeski@bayareawdb.org

The Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board
The Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board is a regional body charged with oversight of the eight Wisconsin Job Centers and the employment and training programs that comprise the workforce development system in 10 counties of Northwest Wisconsin: Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Price, Iron, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor and Washburn. The regional board, comprised of business leaders and workforce development professionals, is committed to creating a competitive workforce that meets the changing needs of the citizens and businesses of our area.

Contact: Steve Terry, Executive Director
422 Third St. West, Suite 200
P.O. Box 616
Ashland, WI 54806
715.682.9141; sterry@nwcep.org

The West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
The West Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board is appointed by the Local Elected Officials of the West Central Wisconsin County Boards' Consortium and sanctioned by the Governor, to carry out responsibilities under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The WCWWD area stretches 150 miles, from the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers on the west to near the center of Wisconsin. Its population of approximately 400,000 supports a workforce of nearly a quarter million hard working citizens, and its diverse business community is comprised of more than 10,000 establishments from all sectors of the economy.

Contact: Dick (Richard) Best, Executive Director
401 Technology Drive East, Suite 100
Menomonie, WI 54751-2383
715.232.1412; bestd@workforceresource.org

Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board
The Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Boardserves a six-county area in the Southwest corner of Wisconsin. It is a dynamic collaboration of private and public leaders working together to promote innovation and quality in local workforce development activities.

Contact: Robert T. Borremans, Ed.D., Executive Director
1370 N. Water St.
P.O. Box 656
Platteville, WI 53818-0656
608.342.4220; r.borremans@jobcenter.org

The Office of Business Resources
The Office of Business Resources is the central point of contact for business assistance in the city of Madison. OBR's mission is to assist businesses in developing and thriving in Madison. OBR staff works with businesses to provide start-up, retention, expansion and attraction information and guidance.

Contact: Matthew B. Mikolajewski, Manager
215 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Rm. 312
P.O Box 2983
Madison, WI 53701-2983
608.267.8737; OBR@cityofmadison.com

Legislative Reference Bureau, Workforce Development Codes
The Wisconsin State Legislature Legislative Bureau is a non-partisan legislative service agency that publishes statutes and rules. Here you will find the Wisconsin Administrative Code Composite on the Department of Workforce Development.

Legislative Council’s Special Committee on Building Wisconsin’s Workforce
The Special Committee is directed to study and make recommendations regarding the coordination of existing resources of K-12 educational institutions, technical colleges, universities, government agencies, and private organizations.

Legislative Council Staff Directory

Committee Member List

Contact: Rep. Patricia Strachota, Chair
58th Assembly District
Room 13 West, State Capitol
P.O. Box 8953
Madison, WI 53708
608.264.8486; Rep.Strachota@legis.wisconsin.gov
District: 262.338.3790