In support of a statewide initiative that connects people to training and apprenticeship, the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association has received $5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The funding comes through the department’s RESTART Initiative, which focuses on the skilled trades, and it will help launch Wisconsin’s BRIDGE-WI program, which prepares justice-involved youth and young adults for careers in high-demand industries.
According to the Workforce Development Association, which represents all 11 workforce development boards across Wisconsin, BRIDGE-WI will connect nearly 700 people aged 15 to 24 to training and apprenticeships in those industries.
The Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin will lead the work on BRIDGE-WI in Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette and Sauk counties.
“Employers across Wisconsin continue to face significant workforce challenges while thousands of young people need pathways to education, training and family-sustaining careers,” Seth Lentz, chair of the WWDA, said in a press release.
“This investment allows Wisconsin’s workforce system to strengthen both sides of that equation by connecting talent with opportunity and helping employers build the skilled workforce they need for the future,” Lentz said.
