Statewide workforce development organizations to get over $10M in grants

Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today announced that 10 regional workforce development organizations across the state will receive nearly $10.3 million in grants through the second round of funding awarded through the Worker Advancement Initiative (WAI).

The WAI was first launched in 2021 as part of the governor’s Workforce Solutions Initiative and funded by the state’s allocation of federal relief funds. In total, projects receiving funding through the second round of the WAI are projected to help more than 1,400 Wisconsinites find or improve their employment through paid work-based learning and classroom training. 

Included in Gov. Evers’ Workforce Solutions Initiative were three programs: the Workforce Innovation Grant Program, the Workforce Advancement Initiative and the Worker Connection Program. To date, programs included in the governor’s Workforce Solutions Initiative have collectively served more than 33,000 Wisconsinites.

Participants served through the WAI will benefit from services including paid work experience opportunities to develop and/or enhance job skills; training to acquire occupational skills connected to in-demand jobs; on-the-job training opportunities to bolster economic self-sufficiency; and supportive services to address related barriers to employment, which may include assistance for child care, housing, transportation and worker stipends.  

Click here to learn more.