Job fair slated for 140 workers impacted by UW Oshkosh layoffs

OSHKOSH — The 140 University of Wisconsin Oshkosh workers who will be laid off effective Jan. 20, 2024, are invited to a private job fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Oshkosh Convention Center, 2 N. Main St.

The Fox Valley Workforce Development Board said in a news release the private job fair is organized for impacted UWO workers as part of the regional 501(c)(3) not-for-profit’s “rapid response” to the layoffs.

The FVWDB said employers with an interest in meeting with the workers are encouraged to register online at foxvalleywork.org. Registration for employers is free for this job fair. Employers not registered in advance will not be admitted, the news release said.

UWO employees who will be impacted by the layoffs or impacted by a layoff from another employer are asked to complete a form at foxvalleyjobcenters.com or call 920-997-3272 to register for the event.

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The FVWDB said the typical “rapid response” effort — depending on the size of the dislocation and the amount of notice provided to the board — includes communication with impacted employees to discuss retraining and job search benefits under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a private job fair with roles tailored to the experience of those being laid off, resume-writing sessions, and other skills-building efforts at the area’s job center or satellite location. When someone is laid off, all of the services are free and covered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s WIOA funds, the news release said.

In the case of the UWO layoffs — a group of mainly office professionals in administrative and management roles — workforce board staff will determine if any are interested in shifting to careers outside of higher education.

As part of the process, the news release said skills and interest assessments may be completed, updated resumes created and job search plans built. Some may require additional training at local technical college or other training providers, the release said.

The WIOA Dislocated Worker program is available to anyone laid off or soon to be laid off from any employer.

The university announced the layoffs Oct. 16 along with 76 voluntary retirements and 34.5 additional vacant positions that will go unfilled.

Of the 76 who accepted voluntary retirement, 49 are staff, 21 are faculty and six are instructional academic staff, the university said. No faculty were among the 140 layoffs.

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Savings from the moves is expected to be about $14.7 million — about $8 million from the layoffs, $4.76 million from voluntary retirements and $1.9 from open positions, the university said.

The last day of employment for laid-off employees is Jan. 20, 2024, and the last day of employment for those taking voluntary retirement varies, but is no later than Jan. 9, 2024.

The day after the layoffs were announced, the United Faculty and Staff of Oshkosh Local No. 6506 said in a statement: “These losses seriously impact crucial units at our university and will make it difficult for us to offer the same programs and services we provided in the past. Those of us who remain will be asked to pick up the slack, and although we remain committed to providing a high quality educational experience, we fear we will not be able to serve our students as well moving forward.”

UWO Chancellor Andrew Leavitt, in the news release announcing the layoffs, said: “The actions we are taking are structured with stewardship: to support UWO’s core academic mission, to have minimal impact on students and student success, and to sustain an institution this region, the state and its people will rely on for decades to come.”

Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: UW Oshkosh layoffs: Job fair slated for 140 impacted workers