Chippewa Valley Times

UW-Stout has been certified as a gold-level Family Friendly Workplace by Family Friendly Workplaces, a Woodville-based organization. This distinction acknowledges employers for their robust support of workers' needs and family-related benefits.

An award presentation took place on August 12 at the university’s Memorial Student Center. Remarks were delivered by Family Friendly Workplaces Executive Director Neil Kline, Universities of Wisconsin Regent Mark Tyler, and Chancellor Katherine Frank.

“This award represents the people-process culture that we support at Stout and our learn-by-doing mission to prepare our students for success when they enter the workforce,” Frank stated. “We want this campus alive and active and vibrant 12 months out of the year. That depends on what we do as a university but also how we serve our larger community."

Frank further emphasized the importance of continuous improvement, stating, “We are excited and honored to be a Family Friendly Workplace, and it reminds us to do better. Our goal is to continue to model the type of activity that we value on this campus and that we want to see across our communities.”

The certification process involved a review of UW-Stout’s human resources policies related to health care, time off, flexible work arrangements, employee assistance programs, child care, and early childhood support. Employers self-score their organization based on these criteria before a Family Friendly Workplaces representative assigns an appropriate certification level.

Family Friendly Workplaces aims to address workforce shortages in western Wisconsin by certifying businesses as family-friendly and encouraging practices that benefit families. The initiative supports employers in recruiting and retaining talent while ensuring young people have a strong foundation for future success.

“That skills piece is where Stout comes in because it is the terminus of that skills training,” Kline noted. “We are very excited that Stout is participating in the program...we’re all recognizing the importance of trying to address this long-term workforce shortage.”

Tyler highlighted UW-Stout's focus on polytechnic education: “Hands-on learning has been the attraction of Stout for a long, long time. Stout learned a long time ago that if you teach things in context, knowledge sticks.”

Following the presentation, attendees toured several university facilities including the Clinical Services Center and the Child and Family Study Center—both providing hands-on learning opportunities for students while supporting faculty, staff, students' families, and the community.

These centers serve as practical labs for students training in relevant fields. The Child and Family Study Center will undergo renovation beginning in 2025 within Heritage Hall. The Clinical Services Center will also relocate to Heritage Hall from its current location.

Additionally, UW-Stout hosts youth camps each summer focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and design (STEAM), mathematics, as well as athletics—serving elementary through high school students from across the region.

Chancellor Frank described the Robert S. Swanson Library and Learning Center as "an action-focused space where students have a variety of opportunities to learn in different types of spaces."

UW-Stout joins over 30 employers in western Wisconsin recognized for their commitment to market-leading employee benefits supporting children and families.