TDCON 2026: Wisconsin’s Workforce is on the RISE!

Over 250 attendees landed in Green Bay this past April for the highly anticipated 2026 Talent Development Conference (TDCON26), Wisconsin’s premier workforce event.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association (WWDA), this year’s theme, RISE (Refresh, Inspire, Strategize, Empower), captured the spirit of TDCON26: equipping leaders with the tools and insights to elevate their organizations and communities.

“I was thrilled to see the collaboration and innovation unfold during the event,” said Debra Nichols, Vice President of Business Solutions at West Central Works. “It saw our state workforce champions unite for two days of networking opportunities, workshops and continuing education credits; ideas that could be put into action immediately that will help shape our future workforce.” 

Strengthening Wisconsin’s Talent Pipeline

Each year, TDCON draws a diverse crowd of executives and dozens of Wisconsin industry and trade associations, employers, policymakers, and workforce funders.

With 95.9 KISS FM DJ Jayson Slade emceeing, TDCON26 featured an invigorating agenda with over 20 industry experts, an outstanding lineup that included:

• Keynote speaker Ron Dunford - President & CEO of Schrieber Foods
• Scott Hodek - Section Chief of the Office of Economic Advisors, DWD
• Emily Laird - AI Integration Technologist at University of Wisconsin - Stout
• Seth Lentz - Chief Executive Officer of Wisconsin Workforce Development Board of South-Central Wisconsin and Chair of the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association

With an eye on building a stronger workforce and strengthening the state’s talent pipeline, attendees enjoyed a variety of topics related to:

• The use of AI in workforce development
• Meaningful ways to build inclusive, cross-generational teams
• Innovative hiring practices

The success of the event was made possible thanks to a host of volunteers, partners and major sponsors including the Greater Green Bay Chamber, Ascendium Education Group, gener8tor, and McClone.

Helping Workers & Businesses in Wisconsin Succeed! 

WCW’s job is to support you, and we do it by listening to the challenges you’re facing and then coming up with a solution that will help.

Think of us as guidance counselors with access to federal grant money. We know what programs are available, whether we offer them or our partners, and how to access the funds to pay for them.

Our inside knowledge makes our initial conversations with you incredibly valuable, providing personalized guidance on a variety of topics:

• Subsidize specialized training for new equipment, modern upgrades, etc.
• Upskill current workers so they can grow with the company
• Remove barriers to work, such as a lack of childcare
• Pay for college courses so people can finish their degree after a gap in schooling.
• Set up apprenticeship programs
• Provide equipment necessary for remote work
• Subsidize salaries to make it easier for people without a lot of experience to be hired and trained on the job

Please contact us to learn more about how we can help you and your business succeed!