Wisconsin
Chasing the (Invisible) Bag: Youth Employment in Minnesota and Wisconsin – YR Media
The youth unemployment in Minnesota and Wisconsin are typically much lower than in Illinois. While the specific data for the youth unemployment rate in Wisconsin and Minnesota have yet to be published, their youth unemployment rates tend to be higher than the overall rates due to factors such as little-to-no experience and temporary jobs.
And, Wisconsin and Minnesota, with lower overall unemployment rates and proactive youth employment programs, have fared better than Illinois where systemic issues such economic disparities and minimum wage laws and economic disparities continue to impact job opportunities.
Achieve Twin Cities, a nonprofit organization that provides access to college and career readiness programs in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, held a 2023 web seminar to discuss the state’s youth unemployment rates. They were joined by RealTime Talent, a Minneota organization that ensures young adults and teenagers have the necessary skills when seeking a job.
Erin Olson, director of strategic research at RealTime Talent, mentioned how younger workers are more likely to have their jobs impacted by events similar to the pandemic.
“Younger workers are also more likely than other age demographics to have their jobs impacted. Youth also tend to have lower levels of seniority and work experience, and that makes them more vulnerable,” Olson said.
Minnesota’s youth employment rate has seen better days since the pandemic, however. According to research from Minnesota Employment and Economic Development, the state has seen the number of teens in the labor force grow by 24,600 since 2021. The teen work participation rate went from 53.5% to 54.9% during the time span.
Achieve Twin Cities career and college readiness coordinator Kelsey Massey noted that many youth aren’t fans of certain jobs due to the pay. However, she encourages them to understand what’s on stake for the future when it comes to these jobs.
“How we are changing that around jobs … we are informing students that yes, these are not the highest paying jobs. But the benefits that come with this, and the connections that come are long term,” Massey said.
Other youth employment programs in the Midwest include Earn & Learn in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was started by the city’s former mayor, Tom Barrett, in an effort to give young people in Milwaukee work experience through local businesses and nonprofit organizations.
It includes a summer internship program for 16-19 year olds, along with a community experience group for 14-24 year olds.
Established in 2007, Barrett expressed the need for today’s youth to be in the workforce, as it gears not just Milwaukee’s community, but for all youth to be great.
“There are a shortage of workers in a number of areas. We’re doing ourselves a huge disservice if we’re not training the young people, because they’re the future workforce.” Barrett said in a 2022 video discussing the program. “If we don’t have young people who are trained for jobs, those jobs are simply gonna go somewhere else, and the entire community suffers.”
Rashad Alexander is a Green Bay, Wisconsin-based journalist and an alumnus of Marquette University. He can be followed on Instagram and X @ruhshaaad.
Carleigh Lewis is a high school journalist in Chicago.
Edited by Nykeya Woods
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
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School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
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