(PORTAGE) People in Columbia County are among those who could see new opportunities for better pay and skills training, thanks to a state workforce grant announced this week.
Gov. Tony Evers says more than $1.5 million is going out to employers across Wisconsin through the Fast Forward program. The funding is meant to help train more than 700 workers for jobs that are in high demand.
In Columbia County, Lacerta Group will receive about $30,000 to train 11 current workers. The training focuses on inventory management, workplace safety, and lean manufacturing — skills that can lead to raises of about 58 cents an hour or more.
State leaders say the goal is to help people move up in their careers while helping businesses fill ongoing worker shortages.
Across the state, the grants will support training in fields like construction, health care, child care, and transportation. In Winnebago County, one grant will help train 24 people to become EMTs, while another supports additional training for dozens of sheet metal workers.
The Wisconsin Fast Forward program has been around since 2013 and helps cover the cost of job training for people who are unemployed, underemployed, or already working but looking to advance.
Evers says efforts like this are aimed at tackling long-running workforce shortages and making sure employers can find skilled workers while people earn higher wages.
