Industry Sectors Worker Training Grants
Industry Sectors Worker Training Grants support Wisconsin employers and their workers through customized occupational training that closes skills gaps and helps trainees gain jobs, advance, or earn more.
Funder: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Due Dates: October 5, 2026 (application deadline, 3 p.m. Central Time)
Funding Amounts: $5,000–$400,000 per grantee; consortium applicants may request more; grant periods up to two years
Summary: Reimburses customized, employer-led occupational training that helps Wisconsin workers gain employment, advance, or earn higher wages.
Key Information: Every application must include a Wisconsin employer committed to hiring or advancing trainees and a 50% cash or in-kind match.
Description
The Wisconsin Fast Forward Industry Sectors Worker Training Grants are administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Office of Skills Development. Open across industry sectors and to companies of any size, they reimburse costs of customized occupational training shaped by documented employer needs. Projects may train unemployed, underemployed, or incumbent workers for full-time or higher-level employment, increased wages, and industry-recognized credentials.
The program seeks to address skills gaps while giving workers transferable, career-building skills and longer-term economic opportunity. Training must be new or customized rather than a replacement for routine or previously funded training. The program favors projects that serve vulnerable or disadvantaged populations and those that lead to industry-recognized credentials or certifications.
