(The Center Square) – Ten regional workforce development groups will be receiving a combined $10.3 million in federal funds through grants from Wisconsin’s Workforce Advancement Initiative.
Employ Milwaukee will receive nearly $2 million to start the BankWork$ program allowing 400 participants to complete an eight-week retail banking training aimed at youth and adults from low-income and communities of color through government agencies and community-based and faith-based organizations.
The second-largest grant was more than $1.3 million to the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin to fund 225 participants in its current programs, which fund subsidized employment, apprenticeships and other similar programs.
“We are very excited to be working closely with the local workforce development boards that serve people throughout the state of Wisconsin,” Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek said in a statement. “This investment of over $10 million will help people who are struggling to find employment by removing barriers that often can make or break an individual’s ability to get or stay in the workforce and expanding training opportunities in some of our state’s most in-demand fields.”
The program will send nearly $1.2 to the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board to fund commercial drivers license and welding training in partnership with Moraine Park Technical College.
The Waukesha-Ozaukee-Washington Workforce Development Board will receive nearly $1.1 million to fund 115 participants with classroom and work-based learning in advanced manufacturing, information technology, health care, child care, professional/business management and transportation logistics and warehousing.
The North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board received nearly $1.1 million to fund 85 participants with short-term training opportunities in health care, child care, tourism-related occupations, welding, home energy audit and solar installation, CDL and construction trades.
Also receiving funding were the Bay Area Workforce Development Board ($900,000), West Central Works ($719,327), Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board ($690,640), Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board ($685,422), Southeastern Wisconsin Workforce Development Board ($610,061).
