(WisBusiness) THURS News Summary — 29 Jan. 2009

From WisBusiness.com …

— Tim Cooley left sunny Southern California Wednesday afternoon, headed for a new career back in his home state as economic development director for the city of Madison. The City Council approved his appointment to the job last week.

It was 71 when Cooley set out from Irvine and less than 10 degrees in his old home town. But after many years on the West Coast working in marketing and economic development, Cooley said he’s looking forward to experiencing the four seasons again – including winter.

“That’s nothing that another sweater can’t help,” he mused.

Cooley also said he’s more than ready to dive into the effort to bring new businesses and jobs to Madison and the surrounding region. He starts his new position on Feb. 16.

Read more from a new WisBusiness interview with Cooley later today at http://www.wisbusiness.com

— The agency responsible for workforce development in Milwaukee could see its budget triple under the proposed federal stimulus plan, the agency’s leader said this week.

Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board President Donald Sykes said the agency currently receives about $10 million to $14 million in federal money annually to carry out its mission of training workers and connecting them with jobs. That could jump to $20 million or $30 million under the federal stimulus plan, Sykes said.

“We can do a lot more with that kind of money,” Sykes said.

And more money is needed, Sykes said.

Sykes pointed to a host of problems facing the city. Unemployment in the city is at 7.7 percent, while the unemployment rate for African-American males has topped 51 percent. Many workplaces have eliminated training programs and are demanding workers already come with certain skills, such as basic shop skills, not being taught in some schools. About 4,000 people are released from prison into the community each year and have trouble finding employment. Many residents don’t have driver’s licenses or access to adequate transportation.

In addition to the traditional population it serves, increasing layoffs have put more demands on the organization, Sykes said.

“It’s not just the manufacturing jobs we were concerned about, it’s white-collar jobs too,” Sykes said. “It’s across the board, and it’s not over.”

See more at http://www.wisbusiness.com

>– Wausaukee Composites of Cuba City has announced the immediate temporary layoff of 61 workers. The company expects the layoffs to last no more than two months; they were a result of the sudden and unexpected termination of a contract from their largest and only customer at that plant.

— Columnist Tom Burzinzki writes that the current economic climate, combined with changes in the tech industry, might mean the end of the local IT consultant.

Read his new column for more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=203

— The Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest is accepting entries online for the 2008 competition through the end of this week. To enter, contestants can submit 250 Word IDEA Abstract now through 5 p.m. Jan. 31, 2009. The contest’s Grand Prize is worth $50,000 in cash and services.

The contest is free to enter at http://www.govsbizplancontest.com.

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REGISTER NOW: Feb. 2 WisBusiness.com Luncheon featuring Kevin Conroy of Third Wave Technologies

The Madison Club, 5 E. Wilson St., Madison.

The event is open to the public, and the price for lunch is $19. Call the Madison Club to register at (608) 255-4861. The luncheon starts at 11:45 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m.

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