FDL Works Website Launched

The vice-president of the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce says the Fond du Lac Works initiative hopes to address the skilled labor shortage in the area. Melissa Worthington says efforts have been underway for a few years to address the shortage, but they are strengthening those efforts, which she says includes engaging retirees, talking to students about different careers and developing programs, and assisting job seekers. Recently the Fond du Lac Works website was launched to help in their efforts. She says fdlworks.com has a number of resources on it. She says the gap created by retiring baby boomers and not enough skilled workers to replace them will continue to widen over the next decade if not addressed. She says there are currently 700 job vacancies in the local job market and there could be as many as 10,000 by 2026.  She says in the schools efforts like Lemonade Day in the elementary schools, Business After School for middle schools and Project GRILL for high schools are creating more awareness about career opportunities.