Wisconsin to use $100 million in federal funds for workforce development grants

The state plans to provide grants between $250,000 and $10 million to regional programs that address workforce needs.

Wisconsin received $100 million from the federal American Recovery Plan Act to fund projects in local communities. Interested nonprofits or government entities should apply for the Workforce Innovation Grant by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25 and awards plan to be announced in November. 

The state plans to have a second round of project funding in 2022. 

“I’m proud of the investments we’ve made to ensure our economy can recover from the hardships of the last year, but we can’t just go back to the economy we had going into the pandemic—we need to make investments that will address our longstanding workforce challenges and prepare our communities for long-term success,” said Gov. Tony Evers in a statement Wednesday.

“These funds will do just that by allowing local leaders to address the unique needs of their communities, whether it’s lack of access to affordable childcare and transportation or providing the necessary training to help folks switch careers.” 

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. are partnering to administer the grants. 

“We’ve heard from businesses around the state that there’s no one-size-fits all solution to building Wisconsin’s workforce,” said Missy Hughes, WEDC secretary and CEO. “The Workforce Innovation Grants will enable communities to develop groundbreaking, long-term solutions that are right for them so businesses can find workers, workers can connect to jobs, and Wisconsin can thrive.”

Applications must address a region’s most pressing pandemic-related workforce challenge and offer a solution specific to the region’s need. These may include, but are not limited to training and or re-skilling initiatives for in-demand jobs, career counseling or coaching services, access to transit or broadband solutions, childcare solutions or supportive services.