Chapter 106

106.26(1) (1) Findings and purpose. The legislature finds that, for many workers and persons seeking employment in outlying suburban and sparsely populated and developed areas, conventional, fixed-route mass transit systems do not provide adequate transportation service. The purpose of the employment transit assistance program under this section is to correct this deficiency in access to employment locations and to stimulate the development of innovative transit service methods.

106.26(2) (2) Definitions. In this section:

106.26(2)(a) (a) “Eligible applicant” means a local public body or a private organization.

106.26(2)(b) (b) “Local public body” has the meaning given in s. 85.20 (1) (d).

106.26(2)(c) (c) “Mass transit system” has the meaning given in s. 85.20 (1) (e).

106.26(2)(d) (d) “Project” means a project designed to improve access to jobs, including part-time jobs and Wisconsin works employment positions, as defined in s. 49.141 (1) (r), located in outlying suburban and sparsely populated and developed areas that are not adequately served by a mass transit system and to develop innovative transit service methods.

106.26(3) (3) Administration. The department shall administer the employment transit assistance program and shall have all powers necessary and convenient to implement this section, including the following:

106.26(3)(a) (a) To conduct a project.

106.26(3)(b) (b) To make and execute contracts with eligible applicants.

106.26(3)(c) (c) To make grants from the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (fg) to eligible applicants to conduct projects or to match a federal grant awarded to an eligible applicant to conduct a project. Grants by the department are subject to all of the following requirements:

106.26(3)(c)1. 1. A grant may not exceed 80 percent of the total cost of a project.

106.26(3)(c)2. 2. A grant may only be made to an eligible applicant that provides access to nontemporary employment or to Wisconsin works employment positions, as defined in s. 49.141 (1) (r).

106.26(3)(d) (d) To receive and review applications from eligible applicants for grants under this section and to prescribe the form, nature and extent of information that shall be included in applications.

106.26(3)(e) (e) To establish criteria for evaluating applications for grants under this section.

106.26 History History: 1989 a. 31; 1995 a. 27 s. 3526m; Stats. 1995 s. 106.26; 1997 a. 27; 2003 a. 33; 2015 a. 348; 2017 a. 370.

106.27 106.27 Workforce training program.

106.27(1) (1) Workforce training grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall award grants to public and private organizations for the development and implementation of workforce training programs. An organization that is awarded a grant under this subsection may use the grant for the training of unemployed and underemployed workers and incumbent employees of businesses in this state. As a condition of receiving a grant under this subsection, the department may require a public or private organization to provide matching funds at a percentage to be determined by the department. Grants awarded under this subsection may include any of the following:

106.27(1)(a) (a) Grants for collaborative projects among school districts, technical colleges, and businesses to provide high school students with industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

106.27(1)(b) (b)

106.27(1)(b)1. 1. Grants for programs that train teachers and that train individuals to become teachers, including teachers in dual enrollment programs.

106.27(1)(b)2. 2. In this paragraph:

106.27(1)(b)2.a. a. “Dual enrollment program” means a program or course of study designed to provide high school students the opportunity to gain credits in both technical college and high school, including transcripted credit programs or other educational services provided by contract between a school district and a technical college.

106.27(1)(b)2.b. b. “Teacher” includes an instructor at a technical college under ch. 38.

106.27(1)(c) (c) Grants for the development of public-private partnerships designed to improve workforce retention through employee support and training.

106.27(1)(d) (d) Grants to nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, as defined in 20 USC 1001 (a) and (b), and employers to increase the number of students who are placed with employers for internships.

106.27(1)(e) (e) Grants to community-based organizations for public-private partnerships to create and implement a nursing training program for middle school and high school students.

106.27(1)(f) (f) Grants to school districts to fund building modifications needed to support school districts’ technical education programs.

106.27(1)(g) (g) Grants for programs that promote the attraction and retention of personal care workers.

106.27(1g) (1g) Workforce training program; expanded purposes. Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b) in the 2013-15 fiscal biennium, the department shall allocate $35,400,000 for all of the following:

106.27(1g)(a) (a) Grants to technical colleges for the reduction of waiting lists for enrollment in programs and courses in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

106.27(1g)(b) (b) Grants for collaborative projects among school districts, technical colleges, and businesses to provide high school pupils with industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields, as determined by the department.

106.27(1g)(c) (c) Grants to public and private organizations or services provided by the department to enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

106.27(1g)(d) (d) Administration of the grants and services under par. (a) to (c) and, if the department determines that the full amount of the allocation under this subsection will not be needed for grants and services under pars. (a) to (c) and for administration of those grants and services under this paragraph, grants under sub. (1).

106.27(1j) (1j) Workforce training program; grants for mobile classrooms and institutional job centers.

106.27(1j)(a) (a) Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall allocate for grants to the department of corrections to fund the creation and operation of mobile classrooms.

106.27(1j)(ac) (ac) Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall, in the 2023-25 fiscal biennium, allocate $975,800 in each fiscal year for grants to the department of corrections to support instructor costs for the mobile classrooms described under par. (a).

106.27(1j)(ad) (ad) In this paragraph, “eligible institution” means a minimum security correctional institution or a medium security prison. Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall allocate grants to the department of corrections to fund the creation and operation of institutional job centers at eligible institutions.

106.27(1j)(am) (am) Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department may allocate up to $50,000 in each fiscal year for grants to fund the upkeep and maintenance of the mobile classrooms described under par. (a).

106.27(1j)(b) (b) The mobile classrooms described under par. (a) shall be used to provide job skills training to individuals in underserved areas of this state, including inmates at correctional facilities who are preparing for reentry into the workforce.

106.27(1j)(c) (c) The department of corrections may use the grant money awarded under par. (a) to purchase capital equipment, such as a mobile or modular unit, that will be used as a mobile classroom, including costs to modify the equipment to make it suitable for classroom instruction, and to purchase and install any furniture, equipment, and supplies necessary or desirable for outfitting the mobile classroom for the job skills training that will be provided in the mobile classroom.

106.27(1m) (1m) Labor market information system. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bm), the department shall develop and maintain a labor market information system to collect, analyze, and disseminate information on current and projected employment opportunities in this state and other appropriate information relating to labor market dynamics as determined by the department. The department shall make the information contained in the system available, free of charge, to school districts, technical colleges, tribal colleges, institutions and college campuses within the University of Wisconsin System, local workforce development boards established under 29 USC 2832, employers, job seekers, and the general public, including making that information available on the department’s Internet site.

106.27(1r) (1r) Student internship coordination. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), the department shall provide coordination between nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education, as defined in 20 USC 1001 (a) and (b), and employers to increase the number of students who are placed with employers for internships.

106.27(1u) (1u) Shipbuilders; training grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (b), in each year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium, the department shall allocate $1,000,000 for grants to shipbuilders in this state to train new and current employees.

106.27(2g) (2g) Implementation.

106.27(2g)(a) (a) Duties. To implement this section, the department shall do all of the following:

106.27(2g)(a)1. 1. Promulgate rules prescribing procedures and criteria for awarding grants under sub. (1) and the information with respect to those grants that must be contained in the reports required under subd. 3.

106.27(2g)(a)2. 2. Receive and review applications for grants under subs. (1), (1g), and (1j) (am) and prescribe the form, nature, and extent of the information that must be contained in an application for a grant under sub. (1), (1g), or (1j) (am).

106.27(2g)(a)3. 3. Require reports from grant recipients describing how the grant moneys received by a grant recipient were expended and the outcomes achieved as a result of the training program, waiting-list reduction activities, certification program, or employment enhancement activities implemented by the grant recipient.

106.27(2g)(b) (b) Powers. In addition to the duties described in par. (a), the department shall have all other powers necessary and convenient to implement this section, including the power to audit and inspect the records of grant recipients.

106.27(2m) (2m) Consultation. The department shall consult with the technical college system board and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in implementing this section.

106.27(3) (3) Annual report. Annually, by December 31, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the department’s activities and expenditures under this section during the preceding fiscal year and detailing the amounts allocated to and expended for each of the programs, grants, and services specified in s. 20.445 (1) (b) and (bm) for that fiscal year. The report shall include information on the number of unemployed and underemployed workers and incumbent employees who participate in training programs under sub. (1) or (1j); the number of unemployed workers who obtain gainful employment, underemployed workers who obtain new employment, and incumbent employees who receive increased compensation after participating in such a training program; and the wages earned by those workers and employees both before and after participating in such a training program. The report shall also include information on the extent to which waiting lists for enrollment in courses and programs provided by technical colleges in high-demand fields are reduced as a result of grants under sub. (1g) (a), on the number of students who participate in certification or training programs under sub. (1) (a) or (e) or (1g) (b), on the building modifications funded under sub. (1) (f) and the effect of those building modifications on the school districts’ technical education programs, and on the number of persons with disabilities who participate in employment enhancement activities under sub. (1g) (c). In addition, the report shall provide information on the number of student interns who are placed with employers as a result of the coordination activities conducted under sub. (1r) or the grants awarded under sub. (1) (d).

106.27 History History: 2013 a. 9, 139; 2015 a. 283, 348; 2017 a. 59; 2019 a. 9; 2023 a. 19.

106.27 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. DWD 801, Wis. adm. code.

106.271 106.271 Worker training and employment program.

106.271(1) (1) Program. Of the amounts appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (bg) in the 2019-21 fiscal biennium, the department shall allocate $20,000,000 to provide funding, through grants or other means, to facilitate worker training and employment in this state.

106.271(1m) (1m) Eligible grant recipients. The persons eligible to apply for and receive grants made by the department under this section shall include institutions of higher education, as defined in s. 106.57 (1) (c).

106.271(2) (2) Powers of department. The department shall have all other powers necessary and convenient to implement this section, including the power to audit and inspect the records of grant recipients.

106.271(3) (3) Consultation. The department shall consult with the technical college system board and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in implementing this section.

106.271(4) (4) Approval of joint finance committee. Prior to expending any funds appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (bg), the department shall submit to the joint committee on finance a plan for implementing the program under this section. The department may not expend any funds appropriated under s. 20.445 (1) (bg) except in accordance with the plan as approved by the committee.

106.271(5) (5) Annual report. Annually, by December 31, the department shall submit a report to the governor and the cochairpersons of the joint committee on finance providing an account of the department’s activities and expenditures under this section during the preceding fiscal year.

106.271 History History: 2017 a. 58.

106.272 106.272 Teacher development program grants.

106.272(1) (1) From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (dg), the department shall award grants to the school board of a school district or to the governing body of a private school, as defined under s. 115.001 (3d), or to a charter management organization that has partnered with an educator preparation program approved by the department of public instruction and headquartered in this state to design and implement a teacher development program.

106.272(2) (2) In awarding a grant under this section, the department shall do all of the following:

106.272(2)(a) (a) Consult with the department of public instruction to confirm that the teacher development program satisfies the requirements under s. 118.196 (2).

106.272(2)(b) (b) Consider the methods by which the school board, governing body, or charter management organization and the educator preparation program under sub. (1) will make the teacher development program affordable to participating employees.

106.272(2)(c) (c) Consider whether the school board, governing body, or charter management organization has agreed to contribute matching funds towards the teacher development program.

106.272 History History: 2017 a. 59, 370.

106.273 106.273 Career and technical education incentive grants and completion awards.

106.273(1) (1) Identification of workforce shortages. The department shall annually confer with the department of public instruction and the Wisconsin technical college system to identify industries and occupations within this state that face workforce shortages or shortages of adequately trained, entry-level workers. The state superintendent of public instruction shall annually notify school districts of the identified industries and occupations and make this information available on the Internet site of the department of public instruction.

106.273(2) (2) Approval of programs. The department shall approve industry-recognized certification programs designed to do any of the following:

106.273(2)(a) (a) Mitigate workforce shortages in any of the industries or occupations identified under sub. (1).

106.273(2)(b) (b) Prepare individuals for occupations as fire fighters, emergency medical responders, as defined in s. 256.01 (4p), or emergency medical services practitioners, as defined in s. 256.01 (5).

106.273(3) (3) Incentive grants to school districts.

106.273(3)(a) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bz), the department shall annually award all of the following incentive grants to school districts:

106.273(3)(a)1m. 1m. An incentive grant to a school district that has an industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (a). Subject to pars. (am) and (b), the amount of the incentive grant under this subdivision is equal to $1,000 for each student in the school district to whom all of the following apply:

106.273(3)(a)1m.a. a. In the prior school year, the student obtained a high school diploma or a technical education high school diploma from a school in the school district.

106.273(3)(a)1m.b. b. The student successfully completed the program in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (a).

106.273(3)(a)2m. 2m. An incentive grant to a school district that has an industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (b). Subject to par. (b), for each such program the school district has, the amount of the incentive grant under this subdivision is equal to $1,000 for each student in the school district who successfully completed the program in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (b).

106.273(3)(am) (am) The department may not make a per student award of $1,000 to a school district under par. (a) 1m. if the industry-recognized certification program completed by the student as a condition of the award under par. (a) 1m. b. is an information technology instructional program developed under s. 115.455.

106.273(3)(b) (b) If the amount available in the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bz) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount per student under par. (a) 1m. and 2m., the department may prorate the amount of the department’s payments among school districts eligible for incentive grants under this subsection.

106.273(4) (4) Completion awards for students. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (c), the department shall annually award a completion award to a student in the amount of $500 for each industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (b) that the student successfully completed in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (b).

106.273(5) (5) Memorandum of understanding. The department and the department of public instruction shall enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth their respective responsibilities in administering this section. The memorandum of understanding shall provide that the department of workforce development will annually furnish funds to the department of public instruction to make the payments under subs. (3) and (4).

106.273 History History: 2015 a. 55. ss. 3193b, 3193be to 3193bi; 2017 a. 59, 336, 370.

106.275 106.275 Technical education equipment grants.

106.275(1) (1) Awarding of grants.

106.275(1)(a) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (cg), the department shall, subject to par. (am), award technical education equipment grants under this section. The department shall award grants in the amount of not more than $100,000 to applicants whose grant applications are approved under sub. (2) (b).

106.275(1)(am) (am) The department shall award grant moneys under par. (a) so that not less than one-third of grant moneys awarded in a fiscal biennium are provided to applicants that are either school districts that are eligible for sparsity aid under s. 115.436 or consortia that include at least one school district that is so eligible.

106.275(1)(b) (b) An applicant that is awarded a grant under this section shall use the grant moneys awarded for the enhancement or improvement of a technical education facility or for the acquisition of equipment that is used in advanced manufacturing or construction fields in the workplace, together with any software necessary for the operation of that equipment and any instructional material necessary to train pupils in the operation of that equipment.