Contact:
Michael Rosen, Ph.D.
(414) 467-8908
mrosen@local212.org
The union representing faculty and academic staff at Milwaukee Area Technical College
(MATC) slammed President Trump’s budget for destroying jobs and contributing to the skilled worker shortage in Wisconsin.
“President Trump’s budget will harm tens of thousands of Milwaukee area students and workers who attend the MATC and undermine the ability of the Wisconsin economy to
create jobs and grow,” said Dr. Michael Rosen, Economics Instructor and President of
MATC’s faculty union, AFT Local 212.
“Trump’s proposal raids Pell Grants and slashes Work-Study and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) funding. These are programs to help Wisconsin’s low and middle income families access and succeed in higher education,” Rosen asserted.
>> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop.
“It is unconscionable to slash programs that create a pipeline of skilled and technical workers at the very time that Wisconsin’s employers are complaining that we have a shortage of these middle skill workers,” according to Rosen.
Rosen explained that 67% of MATC’s 40,000 students rely on Pell Grants to help pay for their education. By raiding Pell Grant funds, Trump eliminates the possibility of summer Pell, jeopardizes the programs’ long-term sustainability and harms the prospects of low-income students.
