University of Wisconsin - Extension

Opinion Editorial

By Kevin P. Reilly

As a parent, I know how important it is to plan for my children's education. Making the right choices now will mean greater success later in life. As an educator and university administrator, I also understand the need to make prudent investments that can put our state on the road to economic prosperity.

As I save for my kids? college education, the financial experts tell me to stay focused on the long view. I hope that our state leaders follow this same advice I?m getting as they make tough decisions during this economic downturn. Smart investors buy when the market is at the bottom, and now is the time to invest in programs that stimulate business growth and community development. Education is a key part of such a strategy.

Investing today in higher education and applied research will mean new jobs, higher family incomes, increased state revenues and a better quality of life for years to come. Conversely, drastic cuts to higher education will needlessly prolong the fiscal pain.

University of Wisconsin-Extension programs have a positive effect on the success of small businesses, major industries and whole communities. Sustainable economic growth begins at the local level, and Extension educators have a proven track record of helping their neighbors implement successful development plans.

In Taylor County, for example, UW-Extension is helping improve the quality of both the economy and the water. Through collaboration with the Rib Lake Development Foundation, a network of partners is making plans to harvest valuable old-growth logs from the depths of Rib Lake. They are creating jobs and tapping a new supply of premium lumber, and all profits will be used to improve the lake?s water quality.

A UW-Extension partnership with the Door County Chamber of Commerce and Bay Lakes Information System used geographic information systems (GIS) technology to help area hotels and inns attract new customers. Working with campus- and county-based UW-Extension experts, proprietors are using state-of-the-art research to develop sophisticated marketing plans and locate potential customers who share demographic characteristics with existing visitors.

In 45 Wisconsin counties, UW-Extension has used customized research to better match the supply of trained workers with the needs of local employers. Using county-based educators and research expertise from UW-Madison, labor force surveys help training institutions understand the skill requirements of local industries. Findings help employers see how the availability of training, job placement, childcare, housing and other services affects their hiring capability. In Dodge County, one analysis identified a growing need for welders, and Moraine Park Technical College used this data to develop a training program that met that demand.

These are only a few examples of applied research and community-based education that bring university knowledge to life. They may seem like isolated local cases, but that's exactly the point. Combined, these and hundreds of other grass-roots economic success stories have a tremendous impact on our state?s financial health. They are possible because of the unique partnership between Wisconsin's 72 counties and our statewide UW System to jointly fund local Extension programs.

That county-state educational partnership is threatened by proposed state budget cuts, which jeopardize funding for both the UW System and county governments. Together, these reductions could have an especially harmful impact on local Extension programs, including economic development initiatives like those I?ve mentioned, as well as others that focus on agriculture, families and youth.

Wisconsin is not alone in this downturn, and we aren?t the only state looking for ways to jump-start our economy. But our state has some unique strengths and capabilities, including our highly regarded UW System and nationally recognized outreach programs. We should leverage those assets now, not undermine them.

I encourage you to look closely at the proposed cuts to our UW System budget. Even if you don't have a member of the family in college, you are still being served by this university. Encourage our leaders to stay focused on long-term goals as they struggle to preserve educational programs that make a positive difference in your hometown.

Kevin P. Reilly is Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Extension. For more information, or to locate the Extension office in your county, see www.uwex.edu/ces/cty.

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Editors: An electronic version of this opinion editorial is posted at http://www1.uwex.edu/news/">www1.uwex.edu/news/. A high-resolution photo of Kevin Reilly is also available at http://www1.uwex.edu/chancellor/images/reillyhighres.jpg">www1.uwex.edu/chancellor/images/reillyhighres.jpg.