Envision Greater Fond du Lac, in a collaborative effort to address imminent workforce shortages, partnered with Fond du Lac County and Fond du Lac County Capital Resources to develop the Fond du Lac County Worker Relocation Incentive program, a countywide workforce attraction and retention tool for employers to use across the county. The program is the first of its kind in Wisconsin.
“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. The Fond du Lac County Worker Relocation Incentive Program will provide businesses of all types and sizes a tool that will assist them in offering incentives for workers to relocate to Fond du Lac County,” said Sadie Parafiniuk, President/CEO, Envision Greater Fond du Lac.
The program was developed through extensive research and benchmarking of communities around the country, Parafiniuk said.
Fond du Lac County’s job growth will outpace population growth over the next decade, and over 25 percent of the county’s population will be over the age of 65 within 10 years. Within the next decade, the county’s workforce will transition an expected 34,000-plus workers into retirement.
The program allows businesses to offer prospective hires an incentive of up to $15,000 with the ability to receive 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. Employers may opt to internally offer an incentive above the $15,000 amount, but the maximum reimbursement will be no more than $7,500 per worker.
The tool is available to any Fond du Lac County-based business, regardless of size and industry. Prospective employees must move to Fond du Lac County from an area outside of the county, be hired for a full-time role with a Fond du Lac County employer, be at least 18 years of age, and be eligible to work in the United States.
Business applications for the incentive will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, and the program has limited funding. Business applications will be available starting Sept. 1. For more information, visit envisiongreaterfdl.com/relocation or call the Envision Greater Fond du Lac Economic Development Team at (920) 921-9500.
