The Employment and Training Institute (1978-2017) was established as a “Wisconsin Idea” unit of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Extension to address the needs of unemployed and underemployed workers and families through applied research, policy development, community education, and technical assistance. ETI researchers worked with local and state governments, community organizations, national agencies, and other universities to address interrelationships between public policy, occupational training, labor market and demographic changes, educational programs, neighborhood challenges and assets, and driver’s license and incarceration barriers to employment.