Wisconsin

Osceola, WI - Historically, the area’s economy was largely based on agriculture and small manufacturing. Over time, an increasing proportion of working residents left for the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) urban area for employment, while the number of small family farms decreased. To counter these employment trends and supply available workers with the needed skills and knowledge to meet the demands of area manufacturers, the Village of Osceola made the strategic decision to invest in the region’s critical need by creating the Osceola Fab Lab and Workforce Development Facility.

In September of 2017, EDA invested $500,340 in Public Works funds to the Village of Osceola to renovate a 10,554 square-foot building as a Fab Lab Based Learning & Workforce Development Training facility. Research, planning, and fundraising for the project have been underway for more than three years and has been supported by a market analysis and feasibility study. The Fab Lab's development has been driven by an increasing, critical need for a skilled workforce to meet the employee demands of local businesses, especially in the area's very strong manufacturing sector. Due to a lack of available skilled workers, some area businesses were forced to delay expansion, outsource work or relocate outside the Osceola area.

The Osceola Fab Lab and Workforce Development Facility will assist businesses in training the workers they need for the future and assist individuals in securing the technical skills they need to gain employment at local manufacturers. Through this facility, workers will gain new skills in cutting-edge technologies such as 3-D printing. Equally important is the opportunity for the Fab Lab to provide test prototypes that could ultimately lead to new product lines. The Osceola Fab Lab and Workforce Development Facility will, according to recipient estimates, create 39 new high wage, high skill jobs and help retain 55 existing jobs as well as leverage $975,000 in private investment.