MMAC takes critical steps to build a more diverse & inclusive business community

By Jonas Prising - Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup & MMAC Chair

MMAC takes critical steps to build a more diverse & inclusive business community

The work to make Metro Milwaukee a Region of Choice for diverse talent, and the Talent and Industry Partnership MMAC recently announced with the Milwaukee 7, are important steps in a journey. We must ensure our region has access to the best diverse talent, and people have the skills they need to stay employable and develop sustainable careers.

Milwaukee’s companies and community are making an intentional effort to ensure their doors are open to everyone, so that more of our young people will want to build a career here and more talented employees will want to move here.

Every industrial revolution requires an educational revolution

When 46% of U.S. employers cannot find the skilled talent they need, improving the connection between education and employers to become a Region of Choice for all – where anyone from any background would want to live and work – could not be more timely.

The skills employers are looking for are changing as new waves of technology create demand for new skills – digital and otherwise. We need to get much better at building future skills and developing people’s learnability. Because the lifecycle of skills is shorter than ever.

History tells us that each time we’ve experienced an industrial revolution, an education revolution needs to follow to provide a more skilled workforce that can take advantage of the new jobs created. We believe the same kind of skills revolution needs to take place now, to bridge the gap between those who have the necessary skills and those who do not, so that everyone can fulfill their potential and thrive in the future of work. And we need to have this happen here in our community, too.

A bright future for work and workers

To the ancient Romans and Greeks, the word “talent” described a unit of currency. Today, talent is very much the currency of economic growth. And skills are the passport to employability. Regions that raise the value of their currency will separate themselves as places to invest capital, create jobs and grow prosperity.

I believe deeply that we have a responsibility to serve the communities in which we do business. ManpowerGroup was established here on Old World Third Street 71 years ago. Today we serve 400,000 clients and find work for more than 2 million people annually in 80 countries. We think globally, but we engage locally, and we are proud to call Milwaukee home.

We need to execute a cohesive and collaborative talent strategy if we are to win as a regional economy.

The future for work and the future for workers is bright, and I'm excited about what we can all achieve together for the businesses and communities of Milwaukee. And I'm proud that this is the mission at the heart of our work at MMAC. "History tells us that each time we've experienced an industrial revolution, an education revolution needs to follow to provide a more skilled workforce."