School for Workers faculty members actively seek to discover and disseminate knowledge through applied research, community research, grant-funded research, and scholarly research for publication. The school’s research work is collaborative, with keen insights and impactful bottom-up solutions; focusing on how to create results, programs, and policies to best support today’s workforce, while exploring ideas and making real contributions that directly enhance a worker’s day-to-day life.
Research highlights
Feedback from Wisconsin Educators
Author: Michael Childers
The report was prepared for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; bringing together insights from educators across 22 school districts on how Career Pathways programs are working—and where more support is needed.
Drawing on focus groups with superintendents, principals, counselors, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers from across Wisconsin, the study highlights both successes and challenges in preparing students for college and careers. Additionally, the report offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, including flexible funding, regional support staff, and expanded teacher credentialing—all aimed at building a more cohesive and equitable system of career readiness for Wisconsin students. Many of the themes emerging from this work were consistent with those from recent national surveys and the April 2025 Career-Connected High Schools Implementation Report.
A cross-sectoral analysis of health and safety challenges and experiences
Author: Lola Loustaunau
Listening to Wi
sconsin’s Workers is a comprehensive report that sheds light on pressing health and safety challenges faced by workers across various industries in the state. Conducted by Dr. Lola Loustaunau of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School for Workers, the study was supported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and gathered firsthand accounts from workers in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, and other sectors.
The report reveals significant concerns, including understaffing, inadequate training, lack of safety equipment, and long, unpredictable work hours that contribute to workplace injuries and health risks. Workers also cited barriers to reporting safety violations due to fear of retaliation, as well as difficulties in accessing medical care and navigating the workers’ compensation system.
Among the key recommendations, the report calls for stronger enforcement of safety regulations, improved training programs, and policies that center workers’ voices in decision-making. The findings underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms to ensure safer and healthier workplaces for Wisconsin’s workforce.
Legal and Community Needs Assessment
Authors: Armando Ibarra, Alexia Kulwiec, and Graci Austin-Nichols
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School for Workers has released the Dairy Workers Study: Legal and Community Needs Assessment, a comprehensive report examining the challenges faced by dairy workers in Wisconsin. Conducted in partnership with Legal Action of Wisconsin’s Farmworker Project, the study highlights the difficult working conditions, legal vulnerabilities, and social isolation experienced by many dairy workers, who are predominantly Latinx immigrants.
Key findings reveal widespread workplace safety violations, lack of awareness about legal rights, and barriers to accessing healthcare, housing, and fair wages. Many workers also cited fears of retaliation and deportation as obstacles to advocating for better conditions. The report calls for strategic outreach, legal education, increased funding for civil legal aid, and improved workplace protections to address these urgent issues.
This study underscores the need for policy changes and community support to ensure the well-being of Wisconsin’s dairy workforce.
A community engaged study of essential workers during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic
Primary authors: Alexia Kulwiec and Armando Ibarra | Secondary authors: Jessica Wang, Kristi Anderson, Jonathan Heller, Shelly Shaw
Voices of Wisconsin Workers is a report that amplifies the experiences of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School for Workers in partnership with the Population Health Institute, the study highlights significant challenges faced by workers in healthcare, education, food processing, agriculture, and construction.
Key findings reveal that many workers experienced unsafe working conditions, inadequate protective measures, and a lack of enforceable safety regulations. The report also underscores the disproportionate risks faced by Latinx communities. Workers reported barriers to speaking out about safety concerns and limited access to benefits such as paid sick leave, leading many to work while ill.
The report calls for stronger workplace protections, better health education, enforceable safety measures, and expanded benefits to support Wisconsin’s essential workforce. These recommendations aim to create safer, healthier, and more equitable working conditions for all.
Providing leadership for discovery and the dissemination of knowledge in its many forms.