Submitted by Laura Schmidt, chief talent development officer;
The MKE Tech Coalition was recently awarded $385K in Wisconsin Fast Forward funding to subsidize the related instruction costs for employers making a commitment to hire registered software analyst/developer apprentices.
This was the largest grant award in this $1.65 million round and the only grant awarded to support the IT sector. On behalf of our members, we are so thankful for the generosity of the Department of Workforce Development. This grant will help build capacity for this important workforce strategy for tech related occupations in the greater MKE region.
We are pleased to help employers who are interested in diversifying their tech workforce as part of their overall workforce strategy and thankful to Kohl’s for being the first to make a commitment to hire registered tech apprentices via our program partner, Apprenti. The first cohort began their training on 3/1/21.
Member organizations who make a pledge prior to 6/30/21 to hire an apprentice in 2021-2022 will receive priority in funding. Please email contact@mketech.org if you are interested in more information.
The Coalition is also interested in hearing from employers interested in expanding into other areas (i.e. Cyber, Cloud, Data, IT Service Desk, etc.). There are many different models for Registered Tech Apprenticeships. The Coalition can help companies find the right fit for them.
About the WI Fast Forward Grant Program:
Wisconsin Fast Forward encourages statewide economic growth by helping employers across the state train workers and fill positions to meet critical needs for a skilled workforce. The program aims to enhance equity and economic opportunity across the state by giving preference to projects that recruit socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, including veterans, people with disabilities, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with lower incomes, and ex-offenders. An additional $10 million in funding for Wisconsin Fast Forward is part of Gov. Tony Evers’ Badger Bounceback agenda, which was unveiled last week in his biennial budget. The additional money will support training for individuals, businesses, and organizations affected by the pandemic.
Related links:
- Click here for the coverage in Milwaukee Business Journal.
- Click here for WTMJ coverage
- Click here for the original press release regarding the partnership.