Foxconn to hold recruitment event at Marquette’s campus
Company says it will need 13,000 workers who have specialized skills
As Foxconn Technology Group’s plans for a huge, advanced-manufacturing campus in Racine County move rapidly forward, Marquette University is partnering with the firm to help it find the engineers and other skilled workers it will need.
On Monday, Foxconn will showcase examples of its high-definition liquid crystal display panels and other technology at Marquette and have representatives on hand to speak with students about the company.
The recruiting event will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Alumni Memorial Union, 1442 W. Wisconsin Ave. It will be open to Marquette students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as to students at other schools in the region.
“We want to be a resource for Foxconn,” Marquette President Michael Lovell said Friday. “Obviously, one of the biggest things they’re worried about is talent and recruitment of talent. … This is really to help get their name and their brand out here in southeastern Wisconsin so people understand what they do and what the technology is and what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Best known as the contract manufacturer of the iPhone for Apple, Foxconn also makes electronic devices for companies such as Amazon and Sony. But because its products don’t bear the Foxconn name, Lovell said, many people may not be familiar with the company.
Foxconn’s demand for labor may be unlike anything Wisconsin has seen for decades. The company has said it could have 13,000 people working at the complex it plans to begin building next year in Mount Pleasant, with thousands more needed as suppliers gather to feed the 20 million-square-foot factory.
If that all unfolds as envisioned, many of those hired by Foxconn will be people with technical skills. The company says the average salary at its plant will be nearly $54,000 a year.
A relatively small number of very highly paid executives can make for a high average salary even while many employees draw fairly low wages. But state officials have said the median pay at Foxconn — the point at which half of workers are paid more and half less — also will be close to $54,000.
Foxconn won’t conduct interviews on Monday, but Marquette’s description of the event says it will give students a chance to explore internships and career opportunities in areas such as engineering, business, supply chain management, information technology and others.
The showcase at Marquette is part of a broad effort to form partnerships with universities in the region to help address workforce needs, a Foxconn representative said. Another event will be held at Marquette on Oct. 23, and further events at other schools are likely.
“We look forward to meeting talented students and professionals during the Foxconn Day events across Wisconsin,” Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn chairman and CEO Terry Gou, said in a statement.
Lovell said academic institutions in the region should team up to help in what could be a large economic development.
“We all need to work together in a concerted effort to help build this pipeline and this ecosystem that we’re going to need for this to be successful,” he said.