Gov. Scott Walker announced today the state plans to award more than $28 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants to the Wisconsin Technical College System to train more than 4,900 workers.
The 16 technical colleges are to use the funds to train students for high-demand fields. The grants will add capacity to 100 programs, allowing another 4,908 students to pass through the system’s training programs.
The Department of Workforce Development will administer the grants, the second round in the Wisconsin Fast Forward program. The first round granted $2.6 million to innovative employer-driven training projects.
The state initially planned to award just $15 million total through the Fast Forward program for training in: health care and related occupations; information technology; transportation, logistics and distribution; financial services; manufacturing; construction trades and related occupations and small businesses.
In March, Walker expanded the program to include another $35.4 million in funds to focus on: reduction of wait lists at Wisconsin technical colleges for high-demand fields; collaborative projects between high schools, technical college, businesses and other partners to increase opportunities for high schoolers to earn industry credentials; and enhancing the employment opportunities for workers with disabilities.
“Our administration has made worker training a top priority, allocating more than $135 million in new resources to equip Wisconsin workers with the skills needed to fill jobs that employers have available,” Walker said. “This substantial investment in the Wisconsin Technical College System will help our top-notch technical colleges build the capacity to train thousands of workers across the state with skills we know are in high demand by employers.”
Grant funds can be used for expenses such as course development, instructor wages and purchase of consumable materials, but can’t be used for financial aid, tuition or capital improvements.
“Wisconsin’s working families have benefitted significantly from Governor Walker’s leadership,” said DWD Secretary Reggie Newson. “Programs like Wisconsin Fast Forward demonstrate his commitment to the workers of Wisconsin, providing a hand up to ensure that they can access training to prepare for in-demand careers. With this announcement, the State of Wisconsin is giving workers the chance to increase their skills and move into a new job or a better job.”
