Connecting Opportunities

The Wisconsin Fast Forward program encourages employers to develop customized, skilled, and semi-skilled labor solutions. The Wisconsin Fast Forward program was signed into law in March 2013 and makes worker training grant funds available statewide for employers of all sizes and in various industries. Grant applicants can be a single business, a consortium of businesses, or a business/businesses in partnership with local workforce development boards and/or economic development organizations. Applicants may want to consider engaging local workforce and economic development organizations to develop a consortium.

Industry sector partnerships are a great way to connect and collaborate with education, labor, workforce agencies, economic development entities, community organizations, and other stakeholders to help employers compete in today’s growing economy. Industry sector partnership opportunities are available in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, among others. These partnerships provide a mechanism for employers in an industry sector to connect with each other, identify shared needs, and work with partners to design new approaches that will solve the identified problems.

Customized training is training designed and conducted to meet the special requirements of an employer or industry sector. Continuous training and worker development keep your employees on the cutting edge of industry developments. Employees who are competent and on top of changing industry standards help your business hold a position as a leader and strong competitor within the industry. We can help your business save on training costs by connecting you with other businesses in your area that have a shared demand for similar training needs.

These grants are business‐driven and designed to provide direct financial assistance to train current employees to avert a layoff, retain employees, or increase the skill levels of existing employees so they can be promoted within the company creating backfill opportunities for new employees. The Incumbent Worker Training Grants can offset a portion of the businesses’ costs to train and upgrade the skills of its current workers.

OJT is a win-win for both employers and job seekers. OJT reimburses employers for the costs associated with training a new employee and also helps job seekers gain skills while earning a wage. Other OJT employer benefits include workforce specialists designing hands-on training plans customized to meet your needs as well as having the option to select from our pool of qualified applicants to fill your job opening.