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Nicolet College Gets $1.9 Million Fast Forward Grant

WXPR

Nicolet College in Rhinelander has

picked up a $1.9 million dollar state grant which will train more than 300 area workers in high-demand technical jobs.

Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson made the announcement. Kleefisch says the idea is to get the money to the tech colleges to close specific job openings sooner rather than later....

".....we have a skills gap. That is no big secret. When you have about 67,000 open jobs and you still have folks who are seeking work you know you need to do something and something fast...."                                                                                                                                            
The welding program will get more than three-quarters of a million dollars, with money for computer training, business management, nursing assistants, early childhood education and other areas.

College Interim President Kenneth Urban says new offerings are being developed...

"....and all of those are designed to be short-term technical credentials that students can earn, rapidly get back out into the workforce. The advantage to all the design, though, is that everyone of the those short term credentials feeds directly into an Associate Degree, or higher level degrees...."

 The legislature allocated an additional $35.4 million in funds to the Wisconsin Fast Forward worker training program.  The Department of Workforce Development  will administer the grants, which will add capacity to 100 programs at all 16 technical colleges and accommodate up to 4,900 additional students in training programs statewide.

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