3 Northeast Wisconsin programs receive Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced almost $1.7 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward worker training grants this week. The awards to 3 Northeast Wisconsin employers and 11 others throughout the state will help train more than 760 workers to meet the needs of the workplace of the future in the construction, customer service, healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation sectors.

The grants provide funds to reimburse costs of occupational training for unemployed, underemployed, and current workers that qualify trainees for full-time work, higher level of employment, or increased wages. Some projects include partnerships with community organizations, local employers, and industry associations.

“The Wisconsin Fast Forward grant program invests in our state’s workforce by supporting employers seeking to attract, train, and retain highly skilled people,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. “Through this strategic investment by Governor Evers, our economy gets a boost, and our workforce is bolstered by training that fills positions and offers workers the skills they need to succeed.”

Grants are open to all industry sectors and range from $5,000 to $400,000 with projects requiring a 50% cash or in-kind employer match. Training must provide transferrable skills to incumbent workers, underemployed workers, or unemployed people.

NEW Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

Manufacturing: $186,701 to the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board (FVWDB) located in Winnebago County. The board is partnering with Menasha Packaging Preprint and Fox Valley Flexo Services to offer press operator training to eight unemployed and 16 incumbent trainees. Incumbent trainees could receive an hourly wage boost of 82 cents or more.

Manufacturing: $128,018 to Diversified Woodcrafts LLC in Oconto County. The employer is partnering with ManageAssist to train 111 incumbent workers to expand skills in continuous improvement, problem identification, and teamwork. Incumbent trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of 20 cents or more.

Transportation: $116,600 to the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board in Winnebago County. The board is partnering with Master Fleet LLC and Fox Valley Technical College to offer eight unemployed people and 12 incumbent workers trailer technician training. Incumbent workers could receive an hourly wage increase of $1.00 or more.

Other Wisconsin Fast Forward Grant projects

Construction: $115,700 to Visu-Sewer in Waukesha County. Visu-Sewer will offer Commercial Drivers License (CDL) certification training to five unemployed and 15 underemployed trainees. This training will provide transferrable skills and certifications for an in-demand industry.

Construction: $26,870 to Tri-City Refrigeration in Wood County. In partnership with Johnstone Supply and Ultimate Technical Academy, Tri-City is launching a new plumbing division and expanding its HVAC division by training one unemployed, two underemployed, and five incumbent trainees. Trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of $12 or more.

Customer Service: $62,370 to St. Camillus Health Systems Inc. in Milwaukee County. The organization is partnering with LifeCamp to offer a manager training program to 60 incumbent employees. Trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of $1 or more.

Healthcare: $19,250 to Collective Counseling and Consultation LLC in Milwaukee County. This funding supports specialized training in trauma-informed care and culturally responsive therapy to four incumbent employees. Trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of 50 cents or more.

Healthcare: $232,925 to Meriter Foundation Inc. in Dane County. Meriter is partnering with the Center for Healthcare Education and Simulation and Meriter Hospital Inc. to offer a CNA Plus Geriatrics training to 100 unemployed trainees.

Healthcare: $77,139 to St. Camillus Health Systems, Inc. in Milwaukee County. St. Camillus is partnering with the National Certification Board for Alzheimer Care® and Cinematic Health Education to offer the St. Camillus Next Steps Program to 10 unemployed, 10 underemployed, and 30 incumbent trainees. Incumbent trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of $2.50 or more.

Manufacturing: $297,000 to Sheridan Printing in Portage County. The company is providing binder and print operator training to 13 unemployed and 27 incumbent trainees. Incumbent workers could receive an hourly wage increase of $6.00 or more.

Manufacturing: $42,877 to Colbert Flexographic Packaging Corporation in Kenosha County. Colbert is training 12 unemployed and 45 incumbent trainees who will help new and existing employees learn a variety of skills and systems. Incumbent workers could receive an hourly wage increase of 50 cents or more.

Manufacturing: $153,930 to Weinbrenner Shoe Company in Wood County. In partnership with Mid-State Technical College, Weinbrenner is training 100 unemployed and 100 incumbent trainees through investment in a new internal training, cross-training, and a supervisor training programs. Incumbent workers could receive an hourly wage increase of $4.83 or more.

Manufacturing: $24,450 to Fraser Shipyards in Douglas County. Fraser is partnering with Applied Technical Services to train 16 incumbent trainees on fundamentals and advanced levels of ultrasonic, liquid penetrant, and magnetic particle testing. Trainees could receive an hourly wage increase of $11.94 or more.

Transportation: $212,978 to Watco Companies, LLC in Dane County. Watco is training 53 incumbent workers to advance engineering pathways through classroom and on-the-job training. Incumbent workers could receive an hourly wage increase of $1.00 or

DWD’s Office of Skills Development awarded more than $3.9 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants training an estimated 2,133 people in 2024. The state launched the program in 2013 to help the businesses train and retain highly skilled workers and address the skills gap. Since then, these grants have provided more than $51 million in funding to 461 employers and trained 29,700 workers.