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New Web Site Connects UW Grads With Wisconsin Jobs
By Christine Duellman
UW-RF News Bureau
FEB. 4, 2005--Career Services offices at 26 University of Wisconsin campuses
have launched a new program, Wisconsin Jobs for Wisconsin Grads, in hopes
of offering a solution to what has become known as the "brain drain."
"Brain drain" is a nickname given to the fact that 20 percent
of University of Wisconsin graduates leave the state to find high-quality,
high-paying jobs. Wisconsin Jobs for Wisconsin Grads is a Web-based service
designed to reverse this trend.
An online job posting system that connects Wisconsin employers to University
of Wisconsin graduates, the program's goal is to add value to Wisconsin
businesses while investing in the overall success of the state's future.
"The more we can do to help Wisconsin employers, the sooner we'll
turn the tide and keep graduates in the state," said Carmen Croonquist,
director of career services at UW-River Falls, who participated in the
program's development.
Employers can become a member of WJWG by setting up an account at www.myconsortium.com/wisconsin/employer.
Once registration is approved, employers can post all jobs, internships
and co-op positions as frequently as needed. In return, registered employers
will receive e-mails from the UW System with information about potential
candidates along with their attached résumés.
WJWG also gives students access to more job listings. While the UW-RF
Career Services Office regularly posts jobs listed by employers on its
Web site and in its offices, the WJWG program will offer an addition tool
for job-seeking graduates and graduate-seeking employers.
"The job of the UW career services offices is to manage the relationships
between the students and employers," said Matt Fitzgerald, web and
database administrator in the UW-RF career services office. "Our
success is measured by how many students use the system."
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is projecting that there
will be nearly 400,000 new jobs in Wisconsin by 2012, an increase of about
13 percent. In addition, they are estimating 110,000 job openings each
year.
"It's really up to the business community to take advantage of Wisconsin
graduates and make efforts to pay them salaries that compete with our
neighboring states," said economist Karin Wells, of the WDWD Office
of Economic Advisors. "I'm really optimistic about growth in Wisconsin.
I think we're coming out of a recession, and if history repeats itself,
Wisconsin should have pretty steady growth during the next 10 years."
This is the first time the UW System Career Services offices have partnered
in an effort to provide employers with this type of a service. "This
is a great collaboration," said Croonquist. "I think it's a
win-win situation for the state of Wisconsin."
For more information about Wisconsin Jobs for Wisconsin Grads, visit its
Web site at www.myconsortium.com/wisconsin/employer
or contact any UW campus career services office. At UW-RF, contact Croonquist
at carmen.jean.croonquist@uwrf.edu.
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Last updated:
Monday, 07-Feb-2005 11:47:05 CST
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