In the face of a demographic crisis in which job growth is outpacing population growth, Fond du Lac County is taking bold steps to attract younger workers. In August, Envision Greater Fond du Lac partnered with Fond du Lac County and Fond du Lac County Capital Resources to roll out a program that’s the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
The Fond du Lac County Worker Relocation Program, available to any business based in the county, allows companies to offer prospective hires an incentive of up to $15,000 with the ability to receive a 50 percent reimbursement (maximum of $7,500) of the incentive amount when the employee successfully completes 12 months of concurrent residency and employment in Fond du Lac County with the same employer.
“Worker attraction is now the largest factor for businesses when considering expansion, adding shifts to accommodate increased business, or keeping their existing hours of operation. This program was developed based on extensive research and benchmarking of communities around the country,” said Sadie Parafiniuk, president and CEO, Envision Greater Fond du Lac.
The relocation program is the county’s newest and boldest effort to attract talent. Envision Greater Fond du Lac also offers the Summer Series for Interns & Co-Ops program, which provides young professionals with an in-depth look at the community and helps them visualize what it would be like to live and work there after college graduation.
Developed in 2019, Envision’s summer series is an all-encompassing way to welcome college students to the community, says Bernadette Ericksen, who serves as director of business client services for the organization. This past summer, 102 college students participated in the series’ five sessions.
“It’s a great recruitment and retention effort for our businesses,” she says. “The events are all designed to enhance the students’ experience in Fond du Lac.”
With most employers struggling to find workers, Envision’s program is just one example of how area businesses and organizations are changing their strategies on attracting employees.
Tapping a younger workforce makes sense, Ericksen says.
As part of its summer program, Envision provides the college students information about the community along with networking opportunities.
“At our first event, we held it at the Hotel Retlaw, which has a very cool vibe, and reviewed information about the cost of living and other community facts along with hosting a panel discussion with young professionals,” Ericksen says.
To see if the program is changing people’s minds, Envision surveys students before they arrive in Fond du Lac and then once their internship is completed. Ericksen says in 2019, the organization saw a 40 percent improvement in how the students perceived the county.
The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce takes its message about the community and what it offers to college graduates on the road through its Fox Cities Days program. More than a dozen employers will travel to Michigan Tech University in Houghton, Mich., on Sept. 9 and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Sept. 28 to not only share their employment opportunities, but also give students a taste of what the Fox Cities is like.
“The employers love the exposure these events bring,” says Sara Hathaway, director of talent and K-16 relations with the Fox Cities Chamber. “It provides employers with the opportunity to meet students where they’re at.”
The college visits are informal, with companies putting up tents or tables outside so students can stop by to learn more about the offerings. And with the employers grouped together, it provides a strong representation of what the area offers, Hathaway says.
“It’s not a traditional career fair, which can be pretty intense and rapid-fire, as students try to drop off resumes and meet with a certain number of companies. It’s a much more relaxed atmosphere,” she says. “Most of these employers come back for those career fairs — this visit provides them with an opportunity to meet with students outside of that hectic environment and provides another touch point.”
Initially, the chamber traveled only to Michigan Tech since many employers reported having strong recruiting relationships there. This year, the chamber added UW-Platteville to the program. “There’s a real pipeline between the Fox Cities and Platteville — a lot of students from here go there and then a lot of their graduates come to work in the Fox Cities,” Hathaway says.
While small and large businesses from several industries are featured, Hathaway says most are seeking candidates in engineering, health care, computer science, cybersecurity and construction management.
“Talent is so tight that it’s important to have as much access as possible to job seekers,” she says.
