2. News Room

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
CONTACT: DWD Communications, 608-266-2722
On the Web: http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/news/
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DWD Announces Recipients of Wisconsin Fast Forward High School Student Certification Grants

Funding will support additional training and certification geared toward high school students

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has awarded eight High School Student Certification grants to Wisconsin technical colleges to train hundreds of high school students to be workforce ready in high demand fields.

A total of $683,488 was awarded to eight technical colleges that will serve 58 school partnerships and at least 1,774 high school students across Wisconsin.

"This grant provides further support to technical colleges expanding a plethora of course offerings to high school students across Wisconsin," said DWD Secretary Ray Allen. "In supporting accelerated learning in high-demand career fields, Wisconsin supports a capable future workforce."

"These grants allow school districts, employers and technical colleges to come together to offer workforce training programs to high school students," said DWD Secretary Ray Allen. "This collaboration will provide students with market-relevant workplace readiness and the opportunity to gain industry-recognized certifications in various work fields."

Technical college programs that offer high school student certifications provide students the opportunity to earn college credit and learn valuable skills while still in high school, a cost and time saver for many Wisconsin families.

The grants were awarded to the following organizations:

Gateway Technical College (GTC) – DWD issued a grant of $98,824 for their High School Student Certification project to train up to 420 high school students with certification credentials in the high demand health service fields of CNA and EMT in southeastern Wisconsin. Successful trainees will gain a 3-credit Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) or a 5-credit Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification. This project will be implemented in partnership with eight school districts in their service area.

Madison Area Technical College (MATC) – DWD issued a grant of $50,771 to train 70 high school students for their Fire Fighter and EMR High School Certification Expansion project, which is an expansion of a recent pilot partnership to high schools in the college district. Trainees who successfully complete the 5-credit Fire Recruit Academy course or the 2-credit Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course will gain certifications in Fire Fighter 1, 2 (including Hazardous Materials Operations) or EMR. This project will be implemented in partnership with approximately two school districts and two local fire departments in their service area.

Blackhawk Technical College (BTC) – DWD issued a grant of $99,753 to train up to 738 high school students for their High School Student Certifications project, which focuses on various subject matters, including CNC, CDL, Welding, Automotive, EMR, Firefighter, and Microsoft Office Suite. Certifications include: NIMS Machining Level I, Class A/B/C Commercial Driver License, Level I SENSE/entry level welder, ASE Certification or AYES Certificate of Completion, Emergency Medical Responder Certification, Fire Fighter 1 or 2, and Microsoft Office Specialist. This project will be implemented in partnership with six school districts in southwest Wisconsin.

Northcentral Technical College (NTC) – DWD issued a grant of $96,545 to train 44 high school students for their NTC District HS Certifications: Welding, CNA/Medical Assistant Pathways project. Students who successfully complete the program will earn two full certifications: 15-credit GMAW Welding Embedded Technical Diploma and a 3-credit Nursing Certificate Technical Diploma. In addition, health pathway students will partially complete up to seven credits of NTC's Medical Assistant Technical Diploma. This project will be implemented in partnership with 13 school districts in their service area.

Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) – DWD issued a grant of $99,954 to train 48 high school students in small, rural communities facing a truck driver workforce shortage in four counties from WDA 4-Fox Valley region. With successful completion of their WFF High School Certification – Transportation – Class B CDL project, students earning a Class B CDL and a Straight Truck Certificate can apply Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) towards a Class A Truck Driving Technical Diploma. This will lead to jobs with higher earning potential. This project will be implemented in partnership with eight school districts and six businesses in their service area.

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) – DWD issued a grant of $100,000 to train up to 290 high school students for their Early Access to High Demand Careers: High School Student Certifications in Nursing and Information Technology project. Successful trainees will gain entry-level IT certifications: CompTIA: A+, Net+, and Sec+ and Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) certifications, each resulting in 3 college-level credits. This project will be implemented in partnership with seven school districts in southeast Wisconsin.

Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) – DWD issued a grant of $100,000 to train up to 126 high school students for their Tools for the Future: Preparing Students for Manufacturing Careers through Industry Certification project. Successful trainees will earn up to 18 college credits towards CVTC’s Machine Tool Operator Embedded Technical Diploma and gain certifications in National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS)-Machining Level 1- Measurement, Materials & Safety; NIMS Machining Level 1 - Job Planning, Benchwork, and Layout; and Snap-On Precision Measurement Instruments (PMI). This project will be implemented in partnership with nine school districts in northwest Wisconsin.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC – DWD issued a grant of $37,641 to expand their healthcare dual credit coursework and train 38 high school students with their Nursing Pathway project. Successful trainees will earn a 3-credit Nursing Assistant Technical Diploma and complete the State of Wisconsin Competency Exam to become certified as a Nursing Assistant. This project will be implemented in partnerships with five school districts in Door County.