With the growth of our region comes significant opportunity. This opportunity can be seen and celebrated in the business community, from a public perspective, and on a national level. At the June 11 monthly membership meeting, we heard from representatives in each of these areas, specifically as it relates to air travel and the impact it has on our economy. We were joined by new GMC member Alan Yeung, Director of U.S. Strategic Initiatives for Foxconn; Chris Abele, Milwaukee County Executive; and Ryan Green, Vice President and Chief Marketing Office for Southwest Airlines to hear how this opportunity is reflecting directly on the growth of General Mitchell International Airport and air trave
Having an efficiently trained workforce and connecting job seekers with job openings remains a long-running challenge for southeast Wisconsin, impacting the region’s economy as well as adding to many social ills. Some have called it a “skills gap” or a “geography gap,” but either way it’s a focal point of many organizations as they look for solutions, especially for Milwaukee’s central city residents where high unemployment continues. To help address the area’s challenges, an eclectic group of 10 young professionals from the Milwaukee area recently attended a four-day program held on the campus of the Harvard Business School in Boston. The professionals, whose industries include education, s
Given the scope and impact the Milwaukee-area’s jobs gap is having on our region, the more people working on improving access to jobs for residents the better. The effort will be boosted in the coming months by an eclectic group of 10 young professionals from the Milwaukee area who recently attended a four-day program held on the campus of the Harvard Business School in Boston. The group’s participation was put together by the Greater Milwaukee Committee. The region’s jobs gap has been well-documented in recent years, with suburban employers in need of workers and Milwaukee central city residents looking for work. According to Milwaukee 7, the Milwaukee area is projected to see the gap betwe
As soon as Foxconn Technology Group announced its plans to build a factory in southeastern Wisconsin, the region’s colleges were quick to pledge their willingness to add curricula, build new programs and customize training to meet the Taiwanese technology manufacturer’s needs. But the sheer size of the company’s planned operations in Mount Pleasant, including plans to eventually hire as many as 13,000 workers, has raised many questions about whether those individual colleges’ efforts will be sufficient to confront talent shortages. As the region prepares for Foxconn and braces itself for workforce shortages in many industries, it has prompted a new sense of urgency among southeastern Wiscons
Before 2009, Southwest Airlines didn't even fly out of General Mitchell International Airport. But by 2017, the Dallas-based airline held a 43 percent market share at Milwaukee's airport, and with 23 direct flight destinations, has a veritable stranglehold on the market. When Ryan Green, Southwest's vice president and chief marketing officer, addressed the Greater Milwaukee Committee Monday, he made it clear that the airline has prioritized the Milwaukee market and hopes to continue its regional dominance. "I want to be clear with you all," Green said. "We want to be Milwaukee's hometown airline. It's really important to us for you all to consider us your hometown carrier. That is why we do
