The New Pathways Shaping Wisconsin's Workforce
media release: Wisconsin's future workforce will determine the future strength of our economy, communities and families. The decisions made today by students, parents, educators, employers and policymakers will shape workforce readiness, economic mobility and regional competitiveness for years to come.
Join Wisconsin Watch and Open Campus for a public conversation exploring the future of education, workforce development and economic mobility in Wisconsin.
Tue, Oct 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM, TruStage, 5910 Mineral Point Rd, Madison, WI 53705.
Degrees, bootcamps, apprenticeships, stackable certificates, employer-direct pathways. The alternatives to a traditional four-year degree are multiplying faster than anyone can evaluate them — and the stakes couldn't be higher for the students betting their futures on them, the employers trying to hire from them, and the communities whose economic mobility depends on getting this right.
The question isn't whether the credential landscape is changing. It’s whether your city and state are keeping up.
What credentials are employers in the Midwest actually hiring against? Which community colleges are leading the shift — and which are stalling? Where are students getting left behind by a system still designed around the four-year degree?
Wisconsin Watch and Open Campus bring together local elected officials, higher education leaders, employers, workforce boards, policymakers, and community advocates — moderated by the reporters who cover these institutions every day — to find out.
The event will feature a panel discussion moderated by Wisconsin Watch and Open Campus reporter Natalie Yahr. The panelists include:
- Becky Kikkert, director of development, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin
- Layla Merrifield, president, Wisconsin Technical College System
- Nathan Roberts, owner, G.D. Roberts
Schedule
8 a.m. Registration, networking and continental breakfast
8:45 a.m. Welcome from Andy Pennington, CEO of Wisconsin Watch
8:50 a.m. Panel: Breaking Down the Changing Landscape
9:55 a.m. Conversation: A Question of Value
10:10 a.m. Closing remarks from Sara Hebel, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Open Campus
10:15 a.m. Meet and greet with reporters Miranda Dunlap and Natalie Yahr
Registration is required for this event. Photo ID Is required for entry.
Wisconsin Watch is a locally-based nonprofit news organization dedicated to using journalism to make the communities of Wisconsin strong, informed and connected. Through two newsrooms and a regional initiative that includes the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and the News Lab in northeast Wisconsin, Wisconsin Watch’s reporting reaches millions annually with reporting distributed freely through digital sites, newsletters, social networks and partner print and broadcast outlets statewide. Visit wisconsinwatch.org to learn more.
Open Campus is a nonprofit news organization that ensures communities have the independent information they need about higher ed and the workforce. By placing expert reporters in local newsrooms across the country, Open Campus helps people understand and influence the institutions that shape their futures. Founded in 2019, Open Campus works with 20 newsroom partners, including Wisconsin Watch. Visit opencampus.org to learn more.
