Door County, Wis. (December 17, 2021) – Wisconsin announced on Tuesday, December 14 twelve regional projects aimed at developing long-term solutions to the state’s workforce challenges.
The projects announced on Tuesday will receive up to $59.5 million in grants through the first round of the Workforce Innovation Grant Program.
Among the projects funded in the first round of grants are public-private partnerships to train and attract healthcare workers throughout rural Wisconsin; develop next-generation advanced manufacturing employees in west-central and southeast Wisconsin; expand affordable, high-quality childcare in Door County, Green County, and south-central Wisconsin; create pipelines of young, educated workers in Milwaukee; train construction and skilled craft workers throughout the state; foster a culture of entrepreneurship in Kenosha; and enable incarcerated individuals to earn undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin.
The grant program is funded by $100 million directed by Gov. Evers using resources available through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). A second round of grants will be awarded in 2022.
United Way of Door County was one of 12 projects slated to receive grants. Serving Door County, UWDC was awarded funds to make changes to existing childcare facilities in the county. Following the work of United Way of Door County’s community childcare task force, two local nonprofit licensed group childcare centers are revising their business models. These new business models require changes to the childcare facilities and United Way of Door County was awarded these funds to make those changes to the existing space, as well as construct a new space.