On July 14, Governor Evers announced the allocation of $130 million from the American Rescue Plan Act: $100 million for the Workforce Innovation grant program, $20 million for the Worker Advancement Initiative, and $10 million for the Worker Connection Program. In short, these funds represent an investment in programs focused on improving Wisconsin’s workforce—the lion’s share in pursuit of game-changing innovations, modeled after programs in Ohio and at the federal level. The Worker Advancement Initiative is intended to subsidize work for the long-term unemployed, in the hope that doing so will assist them in returning to the workforce. The Worker Connection Program involves hiring 40 “navigators” to assist prospective employees in overcoming various barriers to return to work (e.g., childcare, transportation). Meanwhile, Mayor Barrett recently suggested allocating $13.8 million in ARPA funding to “help boost job training and employee readiness in the city.”
