Wisconsin lawmakers stressed the importance of getting millennials into the workforce at a recent discussion event held at the downtown Appleton Beer Factory.

“Every generation has its own challenges — this one included — but it also brings enormous strengths,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Green Bay Republican.

He was joined by Appleton Democratic Rep. Amanda Stuck in leading the discussion Tuesday which was attended by other legislators as well as representatives for Fox Valley startup group Kinnektor and the Millennial Action Project, which organized the event with WisPolitics.com.

“The most consistent thing I hear is… we have jobs, we have plenty of jobs available,” he said. “We just can’t find people to do those jobs.”

Both Stuck and Gallagher noted the importance of technologies like automation and artificial intelligence on Wisconsin industries moving forward.

“We really have to be aware” of how technology is changing, Stuck said.

She also said employers must shoulder some of the responsibility for dealing with the state’s workforce shortage. She said part of the issue is that discussions often center on expectations for employees and the skills they need, rather than what employers can do to make their workplaces and company culture more attractive to millennial workers. Read the full story here.