SB 596

This bill consolidates various appropriations to the Department of Workforce

Development (DWD) for various workforce training programs into a single

appropriation to that department for workforce training programs and restructures

the career and technical education incentive grant program administered by DWD.

Under current law, there is appropriated to DWD, as separate appropriations,

general purpose revenue for apprenticeship completion awards, local youth

apprenticeship grants, employment transit assistance grants, and youth summer

jobs programs in 1st class cities (currently only the city of Milwaukee). This bill

repeals the separate appropriations for those awards, grants, and programs,

transfers the unencumbered balances in those appropriation accounts to an

appropriation to DWD for workforce training grants (commonly referred to as

Wisconsin fast forward grants), and permits moneys in the Wisconsin fast forward

grants appropriation to be expended for those awards, grants, and programs.

Current law allocates $3,000,000 in each fiscal year from the Wisconsin fast

forward grant appropriation for DWD to award career and technical education

incentive grants to school districts in the amount of $1,000 per each pupil in the

school district who, in the prior school year, obtained a diploma from a school in the

school district and successfully completed an industry-recognized certification

program approved by DWD. This bill eliminates that grant program and instead

permits DWD to provide grants to school districts for the development of programs

that are designed to mitigate workforce shortages in industries and occupations that

are experiencing a workforce shortage, as determined by DWD, and to assist pupils

in graduating with industry-recognized certifications in those industries and

occupations.