MMAC’s plan to create prosperity-Education

Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) surveyed it’s members to see what needs to be done in the Milwaukee area to create prosperity (jobs).  They listed some of the assets of the Milwaukee region:

• Livability
• Workforce Quality
• Manufacturing Base
• Prime Location on Lake Michigan.

They identified several challenges to creating jobs in the region and identified an agenda for addressing the challenges getting in the way of creating jobs and prosperity for Milwaukee and the surrounding regions. They outlined their agenda in their report called; “The Blueprint for Economic Prosperity” 

The top concerns they identified are as follows:

• High taxes
• Burdensome regulations
• Inadequate education and workforce development
• Limited prospects for economic growth
• Need for more community leadership.

Education
MPS Graduation rate of 47% ranks 47^th of America’s 50 largest school districts. Milwaukee and Wisconsin cannot be open for business without an educated workforce. The MMAC is a strong supporter for Milwaukee’s Parental Choice program. 83% of members supported this program. Governor Walker has proposed expansion of this program in his State budget. The public schools in Milwaukee are not doing the job needed to prepare students for 21^st century jobs. The MMAC is also proposing changes in the way MPS is structured and governed to get them to perform better.

MMAC has some success in the education area. Here are just some of their accomplishments:

• Worked with legislators from the Milwaukee area to keep the caps from being lowered for the Choice program.
• They helped to get legislation passed to create more stringent standards for schools applying to the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.
• Required all publicly funded schools to use a standard achievement test.
• Did a study of MPS finances, which showed unfunded healthcare and pension liabilities that are bankrupting the system. 
• Raised more than $34,000 to help fund MPS Reading Enrichment Programs at Phyllis Wheatley Elementary School and at Browning Elementary School.
• Sponsored Charter School of the Year Award.

The MMAS is also proposing to implement the state’s Workforce Training System locally to reduce administrative costs, increase the dollars flowing to training and connect the current educational system to employers.

For 2010-2012 the MMAC proposes the following agenda to help change education to create jobs:

• Increase funding for Choice and Charter schools.
• Support efforts to adopt federal “Race to the Top” Standards including:
• Common standards and assessment.
• Timely reporting on student performance.
• Evaluate teachers based on student performance.
• Intervene in struggling schools.
• Move authority for MPS to the Mayors office.
• Add a business leader to the MATC board.

Improving education is vital to create jobs and prosperity for Wisconsin residents.  The MMAC surveyed pay as it related to educational attainment. Here is what they found for average yearly earnings:

• Less than high school-$21,648.
• High school grad- $30,476.
• Some college or associate degree- $34,471.
• College degree- $47,929.
• Graduate or professional degree- $60,885.

Currently only 31% of the residents of the Milwaukee areas have a four year degree or better. This puts us in the mid point of comparable markets.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Mandated benefits and jobs

Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Public policy sometimes has unintended consequences.  In November 2008,  City of Milwaukee voters approved a referendum supported by “9 to 5, National Association of Working Women.  The policy mandated the following:

• All employers shall provide a minimum of one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked by an employee. 
• Employees of small business will not accrue more than 40 hours of paid sick leave in a calendar year, unless the employer selects higher limits.
• The ordinance applies to all employers within the city, except the federal government, the state of Wisconsin, including any office, department, agency, authority, institution, association, society or other body of the state, including the legislative and judiciary, or country or local government.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been fighting the ordinance in court. The initial court decision was made for the MMAC. The most recent decision sided with the city. Expect further fights.

The MMAC contends the ordinance is a job killing resolution.  The law will make Milwaukee a high cost island since surrounding counties do not have this requirement.  The MMAC is going to fight these types of policies since they feel they are an advocate for business and job creation. .  Today Gov. Walker will sign the bill into law. So at least the law is consistent statewide and defuses that argument.

The other side claims the benefits of the law including:

• Lacks of sick days affect mostly workers at the bottom of the pay scale.
• When workers have no sick days, they come to work sick. This can infect others, and prolong illness. This increases cost to the healthcare system and for employers.
• Sick employees who work with food could affect the health of the general public.
• Employees who stay home to care for sick family members risk losing their jobs.
• Without sick time it is difficult for employees to set up medical appointments for routine and medical care.
• When employees have no sick days they cannot care for sick family members, pushing them into the healthcare system. This again increases costs.

The law is well intended. It does increase the costs for business and may stop a business from expanding and jobs being created.  It would be better to let the marketplace decide if an organization can offer these benefits or for government to provide incentives for a business that does offer them

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Federal workers thrive without collective bargaining

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

There have been plenty of protests here in Wisconsin about the provisions of Governor Walkers budget repair. There is a recall effort because of the loss of collective bargining.

 There have been assertions of union busting and that Walker is attacking the middle class.  President Obama pronounced the legislation “An assault on our unions”.

The legislation was actually quite mild.  Governor Mitch Daniels in Indiana de-certified their public employee unions with an executive order. States such as Ohio and Tennessee are pondering reductions in union bargaining.  The legislation in Wisconsin and these states puts our public sector unions more in line with the bargaining ability of federal workers.

Federal workers have not been hurt by limited bargaining powers. They still out earn their private sector co-workers for the same jobs by an average of $7000.  Federal workers also average $30,000 in benefits on average compared to the $7000 earned on average in the private sector.

The federal government also does not collect union dues or force employees to join the union.  Membership and payment of dues is voluntary. The employees still benefit from any agreement reached by the union.  Wisconsin would no longer collect union dues and employees would not be forced to join the union. This puts Wisconsin in line with the federal system.

The reason the unions are so opposed to these changes is most federal workers choose not to join the union. The unions lose all their dues monies.   Unions give mostly to democratic campaigns, so this will leave a lot of cash out of democratic coffers. Any wonder why the 14 democratic state legislators fled the State of Wisconsin during the battle over the budget repair bill.

This fight is not about representing the rights of workers or taking care of the middle class. The unions in Wisconsin have shown they have been willing to sacrifice union jobs to retain their own money and power.

Union leadership is paid for at the federal level. There is just no union dues money to spread around.   Workers also can bring issue to a federal review panel, so they have workplace protections.

There is lots of money at stake in this fight. The Census showed there were 3.8 million state employees and 11.1 million government employees nationwide. Unions want that dues money. It means power, influence and jobs with lavish salaries for union leaders.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Milwaukee Health Care and Jobs

Chris Wodke
http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has a goal to create jobs and prosperity in the greater Milwaukee area. Our area is known for the quality of healthcare. We have firms that are known for their innovation in developing new technologies.

The MMAC did a study of healthcare in the area and what can be done to lower costs and be a positive factor in the economy.  Their goal is a consumer based system that provides high quality, cost effective health care.

More than 75 percent of healthcare spending is spent on the 20 percent of the U.S. population s with chronic diseases.

Many of the groups that belong to the MMAC have programs to promote wellness in their workplaces. This came out of a project between the MMAC, the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the City of Milwaukee.    MMAC also partnered with WPS’ Patient Choice and the Business Group on Health Care, offering products that provide a consumer driven approach to managing health care.

The MMAC is also active on the legislative front.  Here are some of their results to date:

• Increased reimbursement rate for hospitals providing Medicaid services to reduce cost shifting to private payers.
• More than 50 Milwaukee employers enrolled in the Well City program; 15 have achieved Well Workplace Award designations.
• Blocked “Healthy Wisconsin” state government proposed health care take over.
• Enhanced web-based resources on health care costs and quality.

The MMAC will also continue to lobby on the health care front because they know reducing cost for business has a positive effect on creating jobs. Here is what they have on their legislative agenda for 2010-2012:

• Exempt health savings accounts from state taxation.
• Reform medical malpractice system to reduce costs associated with defensive medicine.
• Create legislation to guarantee access to transparent health care cost and quality information.
• Achieve “Well City” status for Milwaukee.
• Create tax incentives for wellness and chronic disease management expenditures.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Do Ivy league graduates earn more?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

If you go to Harvard will you make more money in your lifetime than if you went to the University of Wisconsin at Madison or even UWM?   Does it lead to lifetime employment? Are you at a disadvantage if you go to a state school like Madison or UWM? Should you fork over the big bucks to get the name of a prestigious

A study was done by economists Stacy Dale and Alan Krueger to determine if your alma mater affects your lifetime income.

They found it depends. Black, Latino, low income students or students whose parents were not college graduates did earn more it they attended an elite university. The researchers felt the increase in income came from the connections they formed during their education. They may also have acquired networking skills that their middle class counterparts already had. The networks connections you make in college can be critical to your later success in life.

For white students the picture is a bit different.  They found if a student had high SAT scores and applied to elite universities it did not matter if they attended. If they had the ability to attend an elite university, but did not attend there was no affect on their future income.  The major reason for the increased income of graduates from elite schools is the students themselves. It may have nothing to do with the schools.  Good news for those of you with high SAT scores that cannot afford Duke or Princeton. Your success in life depends on your brains and drive, not the name of the institution on the diploma.  If you have the right stuff you will make a good living over your entire lifetime. So don’t worry about which school you attend. Follow your passion, use your talents and the money will follow.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation

Is your job search detrimental to your health?

 Chris Wodke

http://www.summittrainingpublications.com/

Jim Trainer a Partner with Jell Tech Consulting spoke at the March Crossroads network meeting on the subject “ What you don’t know or take for granted in you job search may be detrimental to your health.”

Here is a summary of his remarks. 

You may need to re-think what you are doing in your job search. 

Resume

• The first thing he asked the audience was the resume.  The goal of the resume is to get an interview.
•  If it isn’t generating and interview it is time to review it.
• Get rid of resume objective.
• Use a summary of skills and experience. This will help an employer to know what is unique about your talents and skills.
• Your resume should focus on the skills you bring and the results you have gotten.
• Quantify your success with hard numbers. Employers are bottom line oriented.

Branding
You need to understand employers are concerned about what you can do for them. They have a need or a problem and are looking for someone to solve it. Your resume and interview should tell an employer:

• What you are good at.
• Why someone should hire you.
• They can trust you.
• You will be a good team player.
• You are a problem solver that gets results.
• You take initiative.

Networking

Lots of people are unemployed. There is no shame in being on a job search. Tell everyone you are looking.  Here are some networking ideas to use in your job search:

• Always carry copies of resumes in envelopes. Keep them with you. Tell everyone you are in a job search, hand them your resume and ask them for their advice.   Ask them to take a look and let you know how you can improve your resume.
• Tell the person you will call them in a few days. When you call them:
• Ask for feedback.
• Ask them if they have any job leads for a person with your skills.
• Ask them to keep you in mind and let you know if they hear of anything.

They are now familiar with your skills and may be able to help you in the future. This approach may generate some good leads. Be sure you follow up on them.

• Ask those you network with if there is anything you can do for them, they just might help you in return.

Interviews

This is the toughest part to get to. If you get an interview then you are doing some things right with your resume and networking. To make the interview effective:

• Ask the interviewer about their biggest challenge or problem. Listen closely to determine if your skills are a fit.
• Be ready with your CAR stories. A car story is a Challenge you had, the approach you took to solve it and the result you got.  Past accomplishments are a good indicator of future success.
• Be sure you are closing the interview well. Ask if there is anything the interviewer heard that would prevent the company from taking you to the next step or ask about the next step.

Hopefully you find the information from the presentation helpful. Perhaps you will join us for the next Crossroads Career Network meeting. We meet the second Monday of each month at Hales Corners Lutheran Church. The church is located at

12300 W. Janesville Road

. Meeting start at 6:30.

Do you hate to write training programs? Too much work to do and no time to put together your training program? Asked to deliver training or a presentation and have no idea where to start?

Let Summit Training Publications take care of your program design needs with our off the shelf training in a box or one of our presentation modules.

Our off the shelf training solutions provide:

• PowerPoint Presentation
• Instructor Guide & handouts
• Student Guide
• Quiz
• Feedback Form

Subject areas include; Communication Skills, Employee Development, Human Resources, Quality, Product Safety, Safety and Supervisor Training.

Titles: Product Safety and Liability, Aftermarket Product Safety,Hazard Analysis, Product Safety Meetings, Warnings, Instructions and Manuals, Product Liability European Union, Obtaining the CE Mark, Risk Assessment, European Union, Product Safety Management Product Safety Audit, Workplace Violence, Substance Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Manager as Coach, Hiring, Firing, Performance Appraisals, Diversity, Americans With Disabilities, Business Etiquette, Security Abroad, International Business Manners, Customer Service, Customer Communication, Terrific Teams, The Manager as Trainer, Coping With Difficult People, Managing Your Boss- Problem Bosses, Malcolm Baldridge Award, Presentations/Public Speaking, Discrimination, Listening Skills, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Total Quality Management, Motivation, High Achievers, Time Management, ISO 9000 Introduction, ISO 9000 Implementation, Quality Audit, Introduction to the Internet, Stress Management, Telecommuting, Flexible Work Schedules, Creativity and Innovation, Benchmarking, Effective Business Writing, Customer Letters, Motivating Self and Others, Project Management, Managing Multiple Projects, Brainstorming, PERT Diagrams, Train the Trainer, Train the Trainer-Delivery, Train the Trainer-Writing Presentations, Train the Trainer-On the Job Training, Train the Trainer-Using Visual Aids, Project Management, Peer to Peer Feedback, Surviving Unemployment, Interview Preparation