Wisconsin Invests Nearly $900K in Fast Forward Grants: Your Path to a Customer Service Career?

Wisconsin Invests Nearly $900K in Fast Forward Grants: Your Path to a Customer Service Career?

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), today announced over $890,000 in worker training grant awards through the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program. This initiative will assist nine organizations in training more than 340 workers in healthcare, customer service, technology, and manufacturing to help fill critical workforce needs.

“Making sure Wisconsin is prepared to create jobs for the future must be a top priority,” said Gov. Evers. “These grants are a win-win-win for our workforce, economy, and communities.”

Customer Service Training Highlight

One notable grant is $84,200 awarded to the City of Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications. This grant will train 36 unemployed and 88 current workers to take and dispatch 911 calls, providing a nationally recognized Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certification and addressing staffing shortages.

Other Grant Awards

• Healthcare: Appleton 955 LLC ($36,000), Life Point Counseling LLC ($193,635), Opportunity Inc. ($17,655)
• Information Technology: Trade Tech Inc. ($168,357)
• Manufacturing: ATACO Steel Products Corp. ($12,403), Gehl Food LLC ($281,534), Mayday Gearbox Repair ($64,315), Robbins Sports Surfaces LLC ($32,500)

How the Program Works

Administered by DWD, the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program reimburses the costs of customized occupational training for unemployed, underemployed, and current workers. Grants range from $5,000 to $400,000 (or higher for consortium applicants) and can cover training that qualifies workers for full-time positions, higher-level roles, or increased wages.

Employer Requirements

Employers must meet these minimum requirements to receive funding:

• 85% of participants must complete training
• 65% must gain employment (hiring unemployed or improving employment for underemployed workers)
• 75% of incumbent trainees must receive pay raises

Program Impact

Since the program launched in 2013, more than $58 million in funding has been awarded to 516 projects, supporting the training of over 31,000 workers. In state fiscal year 2026 alone, DWD awarded over $5.2 million to train an estimated 2,847 people.

Evers Administration’s Workforce Efforts

Gov. Evers has made building a 21st-century workforce a top priority, resulting in record-low unemployment and record-high employment. Annual average wages have increased nearly 26% over his first six years in office, and median wages in 2024 reached an all-time record high.

Additional initiatives include:

• Youth Apprenticeship program record-high enrollment of 12,141 students
• Registered Apprenticeship program record of 18,524 apprentices across 3,095 employers
• WisTRAIN employer grant program for advanced manufacturing and AI training
• Ignite Wisconsin program to support high-growth startups

For more information on the Wisconsin Fast Forward Program, visit wisconsinfastforward.com.