Ithaca School District part of DWD grant

MADISON, Wis (WRCO / WRCE) – The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has awarded $978,637 in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants to 18 school districts across the state that will serve an estimated 4,281 students.

The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Equipment grants will help schools prepare students for quality careers and address the state’s skilled labor shortage.

Schools will use the funding to upgrade career and technical education training equipment and facilities. Projects include modernizing welding labs, acquiring dental and biomedical lab equipment, and launching an industrial robotics program. These grants also help families by reducing higher education costs through dual enrollment credits, industry-endorsed certificates, and technical endorsements on high school diplomas.

Among the schools receiving grants:

The Ithaca School District received $5,154 to purchase a SawStop Cabinet Table Saw, SawStop Mobile Base, Spectrum 625 Plasma Cutter, and Millermatic 211 Welder, which will provide students with hands-on fabrication experience.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development released U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates of employment and unemployment statistics for metropolitan areas, major cities, and counties in Wisconsin for April 2025. The non-seasonally adjusted data shows that unemployment rates decreased in all 13 metropolitan areas over the month, but rates increased in all 13 metro areas over the past year. Unemployment in Wisconsin for April 2025 is 3.3 percent, compared to the national rate of 4.2 percent.

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Adam D. Hess is an employee of the Ithaca School District, WRCO FM, and Civic Media.