UW-Eau Claire is one of nine higher-education institutions joining  state’s first-ever campaign featuring graduates who have chosen Wisconsin as their career destination

Eau Claire, WI. June 20, 2018 — The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire today unveiled a new marketing campaign aimed at encouraging alumni of Wisconsin colleges and universities to pursue their personal and professional goals in Wisconsin.

The campaign includes social media ads that link to videos featuring the perspectives of young people who have studied in Wisconsin and landed their dream jobs here, either right out of school or after leaving the state and deciding to return here.

Among those featured in the “alumni snapshots” is Steve Farina, a 2006 UW-Eau Claire graduate who decided to start his own businesses in Wisconsin after considering opportunities in Illinois, California and New York.

UW-Eau Claire is one of nine Wisconsin colleges and universities with alumni featured in the ads, which are appearing nationally on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. The ads are targeted specifically to reach graduates of more than 60 Wisconsin colleges and universities, or people who engage with those institutions on social media.

The campaign marks the first time the state has teamed up with Wisconsin colleges and universities on a marketing initiative aimed at talent attraction.

All ads link to a new alumni webpage on InWisconsin.com, where visitors are invited to explore both career and lifestyle opportunities in the state. The page includes job search and home search tools as well as a prompt that asks other Wisconsin graduates to “share your story,” which will increase engagement with, and awareness of, the campaign.

“As Wisconsin’s economy continues to grow, it’s imperative that we provide employers with the talent they need to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow, and this initiative is one of the many ways the state is working with its partners to achieve that goal,” said Tricia Braun, deputy secretary and chief operating officer of WEDC, who announced the imitative at UW-Eau Claire Wednesday. “Most graduates of our colleges and universities have fond memories of their time in Wisconsin, and we want to encourage those living out of state to seriously consider ‘coming home’.”

The alumni initiative is one of three components of a $6.8 million marketing campaign to attract and retain talented workers in Wisconsin to meet the workforce demands of today and tomorrow. Legislation authorizing funding for the campaign was signed into law by Governor Scott Walker in April. The campaign also will target transitioning military service members and their families, as well as Midwest millennials living outside Wisconsin.

UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt, who joined Braun at Wednesday’s event, said reaching out to alumni is an example of the type of innovative action needed to address the talent shortage in the region and throughout the state.

“I’m thrilled that WEDC and its partners are here at UW-Eau Claire as part of the statewide launch of this important campaign,” Schmidt said. “We can’t do enough to share the message that Wisconsin has much to offer the talented graduates of our higher ed institutions. We’ve been busy sharing that message as well, through a number of ongoing initiatives with both UW-Eau Claire students and alumni.”

The initiative also is supported by Steve Jahn, executive director of Momentum West, a regional economic development organization serving western Wisconsin.

“We are fortunate to have multiple quality higher education institutions in the region that produce thousands of graduates annually,” Jahn said. “With the challenges faced across the country in securing talent, it is exciting to see the UW System and WEDC partner to bring some of these professionals back to an area they are familiar with from they’re time enrolled in school here.”

Other educational institutions working with WEDC on this initiative include UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville, Western Technical College in La Crosse, St. Norbert College in De Pere and Lakeshore Technical College in Manitowoc County.

In addition to producing videos with those nine institutions, WEDC also is developing a toolkit that will allow other Wisconsin colleges and universities to share their alumni success stories in Wisconsin in a co-branded fashion.

The campaign unveiled Wednesday is an extension of a $1 million marketing campaign launched in January to encourage young professionals in the Chicago area to consider living and working in Wisconsin. Part of that campaign included placing ads in UW-Madison alumni newsletters.

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About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network. Visit www.inwisconsin.com or follow WEDC on Twitter @InWisconsin to learn more.

About the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is consistently rated among the top 10 public Midwestern universities and recognized nationally for quality academics and high return on investment. UW-Eau Claire, which celebrated its centennial in 2016, offers more than 80 undergraduate programs with an average class size of 27 students and a teacher-to-student ratio of 21-to-1. For more information, visit www.uwec.edu