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 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Career and Technical (CTE) Incentive Grants

In collaboration with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction offers CTE Incentive Grants to schools and students to incentivize offering of high-quality career and technical education programs in key industries facing shortages of qualified entry-level workers.

The certification list includes industry-recognized certifications approved for the 2024-25 academic year that are eligible for the CTE Incentive Grants program authorized by Wisconsin Statutes 106.273. The list is organized into five certification categories; provides the names of the certification entities and certifications approved for the 2024-25 academic year; and provides the documentation requirements for Class of 2025 claims. The list is also revised annually to ensure relevance to current industry needs and in accordance with program goals and requirements.

District and school staff are to use the most recent version published on the DWD CTE web page for documentation requirements. The version date will be posted at the top of the published document. School districts will benefit from having all staff members assigned roles with the CTE incentive grants attend the training provided for the various tasks required to submit high-quality and relevant claims. Training is available through the Training & Resources tab on DWD's CTE Incentive Grants website.
 

  • Assistance Type: Grant  

  • Annual/Biennial Funding Amount: 

    • $8 million annual funding.

    • Gants provide up to $1,000 per recent graduate earning a certification from the approved certifications list.

  • Application Cycle: Annually

  • Min./Max Award: District incentive grants provide up to $1,000 per recent graduate earning a certification from the approved certifications list. Student completion awards of $500 per eligible certification are available for students earning specific certifications.

  • Contact and/or Application Link:

    • ​The Class of 2024 Claims Submission portal is open! The deadline to submit claims is 4:00 pm on Monday, September 30, 2024. If you missed the live webinar on submitting claims, you can access the recorded version, the slide deck, and transcript through the Training & Resources tab on the program website.

    • Contact: DETCTEGrants@dwd.wisconsin.gov


Example of Successful Implementation: In 2021, 297 school districts were approved for the CTE Incentive grants out of 298 applications.

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Below attached to the button is the link for more information regarding this program from the DWD website. Follow this link to learn more.

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Youth Apprenticeship Grants

Youth Apprenticeship Grants aim to provide funding to sustain, expand, implement and coordinate a Youth Apprenticeship Program. This grant is available to one or more school districts, plus any combination of community-based organizations, CESAs, employers, colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System, labor unions, chambers of commerce, Workforce Development Boards, other public agencies, and contributing individuals.

All local partnerships must be approved by the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to operate a Youth Apprenticeship Program. Grant awards are contingent upon the availability of state funds. Grantees must serve at least 25 students to be eligible.

Consortia must implement and coordinate a Youth Apprenticeship Program for one or more school districts, or one or more school districts plus other eligible organizations. Consortia must keep YA Partnership Agreement and YA School District Affiliation Agreement on file.
 

  • Assistance Type: Grant 

  • Annual/Biennial Funding Amount: For '24-'25, total available grant funds are at least $10 million.

  • Application Cycle: Effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026

  • Min./Max Award: Grant requests are limited to $1,100 per youth apprentice served.

  • Contact and/or Application Link: 

    • ​All grant applications must be submitted through the Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards Electronic Registration System (BASERS).

    • Email Youth Apprenticeship Staff at YA@dwd.wisconsin.gov


Example of Successful Implementation: In 2021, out of the 3,255 applications there were 2,867 YA Grants approved.

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Below attached to the button is the link for more information regarding this program from the DWD website. Follow this link to learn more.​​​

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On-the-Job Training (OJT)

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
The goal of DVR is to connect DVR consumers to permanent employment opportunities by assisting DVR consumers to acquire the skills necessary for long-term employment with the participating employer.
Employers must be willing to permanently hire the DVR consumers and provide necessary on-the-job training to qualify for wage reimbursement. The reimbursement is only for training costs related to job skills that exceed the average starting employee requirements. Training must be hands-on, teaching the specific duties, knowledge, and skills needed for the job. Reimbursements decisions are made on case-by-case basis and training for this must focus on skills necessary for long-term employment with the employer.


Student On-the-Job Training (S-OJT)
The goal of this program is to provide students with disabilities to explore career options, obtain job skills, training opportunities, and permanent employment. Students include DVR consumers ages 14-21 attending high school or a college/university.

 

  • Assistance Type: Grant

  • Min./Max Award:

    • ​DVR: Reimbursement is limited to 50% of wages paid to DVR consumers and it is available only during the on-the-job training period.​

    • S-OJT: reimbursement of 100 percent of the hourly employee wage up to 500 hours in a 12-month period or up to the date the individual no longer meets the definition of a student; whichever comes first.​​

  • Contact and/or Application Link:

    • ​Contact the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

      Phone Number: 800-442-3477 (Toll Free)

      Email Address: dvr@dwd.wisconsin.gov

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Below attached to the button is the link for more information regarding this program from the DWD website. Follow this link to learn more.​​​​

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Wisconsin Fast Forward Grants

The objective of the Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF) standard grant program is to award funds to businesses from all Wisconsin industry sectors that reimburse the costs of customized occupational training for unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers. The customized, business-driven training will qualify workers for full-time employment, higher level employment, or increased wages.
 

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Below attached to the button is the link for more information regarding this program from the DWD website. Follow this link to learn more.

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Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)

The goal of this program is to incentivize employers to hire new employees from groups who face significant barriers to employment. Additionally, employers must apply for and receive certification that the new hire belongs to a target group before claiming the tax credit and the amount of tax credit depends on the employee's target group, the employee's wages, and the number of hours worked. Qualified New Employees must belong to one of the following:​
 

  1. TANF Recipients

  2. Qualified Veteran

  3. Ex-Felons

  4. Vocational Rehabilitation Referrals

  5. Food Share/SNAP Recipients

  6. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients

  7. Long-term Family Assistance Recipients (LTFA)

  8. Long-term Unemployed Recipient (LTUR)

(For definitions of qualified groups, please see program link)

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  • Assistance Type: Tax Credit, Deferral, or Exclusion

  • Min./Max Award: Depends on qualified employee group, hours worked, and length of employment.

  • Contact and/or Application Link: DETWOTC@dwd.wi.gov

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Below attached to the button is the link for more information regarding this program from the DWD website. Follow this link to learn more.

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Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development 

The button below will bring you to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development website to find more information regarding the application process for the programs listed above.

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