MADISON -- Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), today announced that students in 16 school districts statewide will benefit from new advanced manufacturing training in preparation for high-demand job opportunities thanks to grants from the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program. Earlier this week, the governor announced that an additional 11 Wisconsin school districts would receive more than $414,000 in grant funding through the program as well.

The current round of Wisconsin Fast Forward grants from DWD totals $450,000 for school districts across the state to train students for careers paths involving robotics, welding, plasma cutting, 3D printing, drones, and more.

“As our kids prepare for their futures and explore career options, it’s critical that we’re doing everything we can to present different pathways for them to pursue, from offering specialized training to providing opportunities to earn industry-recognized credentials,” said Gov. Evers. “These grants are going to help ensure we’re investing in our own homegrown talent, giving them the tools and resources they need to learn skills for high-demand jobs in critical industries across our state while fueling collaboration among employers, school districts, and agency partners.”

This investment comes after Gov. Evers and DWD also announced earlier this week that Wisconsin high school juniors and seniors will have 14 new occupational pathways that local employers can support this fall.

Related: Gov. Evers, DWD Announce Youth Apprenticeship Offerings, 14 New Occupational Pathways For Students

DWD Secretary-designee Amy Pechacek said the investments in high school technical education programs produce a more competitive workforce, while saving students and their families money.

“Upon graduation, students will have obtained dual enrollment credits, industry-recognized credentials, and technical endorsements on their high school diplomas,” Pechacek said. “They come out ahead as job applicants, with some additional academic requirements already out of the way.”

Previous Fast Forward grant recipients have used the funding to purchase training equipment related to robotics and automation, allowing the students to obtain Manufacturing Standards Skills Council (MSSC) and Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) certifications.

Advanced manufacturing refers to a family of manufacturing activities that depend on the use and coordination of information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking, and/or use cutting-edge materials and emerging production capabilities enabled by the physical and biological sciences (e.g., nanotechnology, chemistry, and biology). This involves both new ways of manufacturing existing products and manufacturing new products emerging from advanced technologies.

The awards announced today include:

School District of Lodi, Columbia and Dane County | $19,220

School District of Mellen, Ashland County | $20,860

Saint Croix Central School District, St. Croix County | $49,385

Rib Lake School District, Taylor County | $5,000

Sauk Prairie School District, Sauk County | $49,853

School District of Wild Rose, Waushara County | $47,658

Prescott School District, Pierce County | $6,170

School District of Waukesha, Waukesha County | $10,000

Stone Bank School District, Waukesha County | $5,840

Clintonville Public School District, Waupaca County | $50,000

School District of Ladysmith, Rusk County | $40,000

Eau Claire Area School District, Eau Claire County | $12,635

School District of West Salem, La Crosse County | $46,485

Oshkosh Area School District, Winnebago County | $18,030

School District of Wausaukee, Marinette County | $12,265

Cedar Grove-Belgium School District, Sheboygan County | $50,000

Last Update: Sep 01, 2022 11:58 am CDT

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