106.27 Workforce training program.

(1) Workforce training grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall award grants to public and private organizations for the development and implementation of workforce training programs. An organization that is awarded a grant under this subsection may use the grant for the training of unemployed and underemployed workers and incumbent employees of businesses in this state. As a condition of receiving a grant under this subsection, the department may require a public or private organization to provide matching funds at a percentage to be determined by the department. Grants awarded under this subsection may include any of the following:

(a) Grants for collaborative projects among school districts, technical colleges, and businesses to provide high school students with industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

(b)

1. Grants for programs that train teachers and that train individuals to become teachers, including teachers in dual enrollment programs.

2. In this paragraph:

a. “Dual enrollment program" means a program or course of study designed to provide high school students the opportunity to gain credits in both technical college and high school, including transcripted credit programs or other educational services provided by contract between a school district and a technical college.

b. “Teacher” includes an instructor at a technical college under ch. 38.

(c) Grants for the development of public-private partnerships designed to improve workforce retention through employee support and training.

(d) Grants to nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, as defined in 20 USC 1001 (a) and (b), and employers to increase the number of students who are placed with employers for internships.

(e) Grants to community-based organizations for public-private partnerships to create and implement a nursing training program for middle school and high school students.

(f) Grants to school districts to fund building modifications needed to support school districts' technical education programs.

(g) Grants for programs that promote the attraction and retention of personal care workers.

(1g) Workforce training program; expanded purposes. Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b) in the 2013-15 fiscal biennium, the department shall allocate $35,400,000 for all of the following:

(a) Grants to technical colleges for the reduction of waiting lists for enrollment in programs and courses in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

(b) Grants for collaborative projects among school districts, technical colleges, and businesses to provide high school pupils with industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

(c) Grants to public and private organizations or services provided by the department to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

(d) Administration of the grants and services under par. (a) to (c) and, if the department determines that the full amount of the allocation under this subsection will not be needed for grants and services under pars. (a) to (c) and for administration of those grants and services under this paragraph, grants under sub. (1).

(1j) Workforce training program; grants for mobile classrooms and institutional job centers.

(a) Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall allocate for grants to the department of corrections to fund the creation and operation of mobile classrooms.

(ad) In this paragraph, “eligible institution” means a minimum security correctional institution or a medium security prison. Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall allocate grants to the department of corrections to fund the creation and operation of institutional job centers at eligible institutions.

(am) Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department may allocate up to $50,000 in each fiscal year for grants to fund the upkeep and maintenance of the mobile classrooms described under par. (a).

(b) The mobile classrooms described under par. (a) shall be used to provide job skills training to individuals in underserved areas of this state, including inmates at correctional facilities who are preparing for reentry into the workforce.

(c) The department of corrections may use the grant money awarded under par. (a) to purchase capital equipment, such as a mobile or modular unit, that will be used as a mobile classroom, including costs to modify the equipment to make it suitable for classroom instruction, and to purchase and install any furniture, equipment, and supplies necessary or desirable for outfitting the mobile classroom for the job skills training that will be provided in the mobile classroom.

(1m) Labor market information system. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bm), the department shall develop and maintain a labor market information system to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on current and projected employment opportunities in this state and other appropriate information relating to labor market dynamics as determined by the department. The department shall make the information contained in the system available, free of charge, to school districts, technical colleges, tribal colleges, institutions and college campuses within the University of Wisconsin System, local workforce development boards established under 29 USC 2832, employers, job seekers, and the general public, including making that information available on the department's Internet site.

(1r) Student internship coordination. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall provide coordination between nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education, as defined in 20 USC 1001 (a) and (b), and employers to increase the number of students who are placed with employers for internships.

(1u) Shipbuilders; training grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), in each year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium, the department shall allocate $1,000,000 for grants to shipbuilders in this state to train new and current employees.

(2g) Implementation.

(a) Duties. To implement this section, the department shall do all of the following:

1. Promulgate rules prescribing procedures and criteria for awarding grants under sub. (1) and the information with respect to those grants that must be contained in the reports required under subd. 3.

2. Receive and review applications for grants under subs. (1), (1g), and (1j) (am) and prescribe the form, nature, and extent of the information that must be contained in an application for a grant under sub. (1), (1g), or (1j) (am).

3. Require reports from grant recipients describing how the grant moneys received by a grant recipient were expended and the outcomes achieved as a result of the training program, waiting-list reduction activities, certification program, or employment enhancement activities implemented by the grant recipient.

(b) Powers. In addition to the duties described in par. (a), the department shall have all other powers necessary and convenient to implement this section, including the power to audit and inspect the records of grant recipients.

(2m) Consultation. The department shall consult with the technical college system board and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in implementing this section.

(3) Annual report. Annually, by December 31, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the department's activities and expenditures under this section during the preceding fiscal year and detailing the amounts allocated to and expended for each of the programs, grants, and services specified in s. 20.445 (1) (b) and (bm) for that fiscal year. The report shall include information on the number of unemployed and underemployed workers and incumbent employees who participate in training programs under sub. (1) or (1j); the number of unemployed workers who obtain gainful employment, underemployed workers who obtain new employment, and incumbent employees who receive increased compensation after participating in such a training program; and the wages earned by those workers and employees both before and after participating in such a training program. The report shall also include information on the extent to which waiting lists for enrollment in courses and programs provided by technical colleges in high-demand fields are reduced as a result of grants under sub. (1g) (a), on the number of students who participate in certification or training programs under sub. (1) (a) or (e) or (1g) (b), on the building modifications funded under sub. (1) (f) and the effect of those building modifications on the school districts' technical education programs, and on the number of persons with disabilities who participate in employment enhancement activities under sub. (1g) (c). In addition, the report shall provide information on the number of student interns who are placed with employers as a result of the coordination activities conducted under sub. (1r) or the grants awarded under sub. (1) (d).

History: 2013 a. 9, 139; 2015 a. 283, 348; 2017 a. 59; 2019 a. 9.