UW-Stout Receives Grant Funding to Address Workforce Issues

UW-Stout has received nearly $2 million in federal grant funding aimed at addressing persistent workforce shortages in crucial industries.

According to a press release on Tuesday, UW-Stout is the only institution in Wisconsin and one of just 22 institutions nationwide to receive funding through the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education Special Project Program. The school will receive just over $2 million for its FUSE program.

The FUSE, or Fast Upskilling for Skills and Employment, program provides job training for adult learners, displaced and underemployed workers, and other students in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and child care. The program will include flexible schedules to reduce barriers for working adults and caregivers to participate. It also includes performance targets to ensure 80% of students complete the program, 75% obtain professional credentials, and 70% find job placement within six months of graduation.

Workforce shortages have led to significant issues in those fields over recent years, particularly the childcare industry. Childcare providers have called for increased state funding since the new biennial budget went into effect last year, seeking to balance financial incentives for providers to continue working in the field with the exorbitant costs parents are paying for childcare services.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has also placed an emphasis on addressing the workforce shortage in the manufacturing field. In September, a number of Western Wisconsin schools and businesses received funding through the Wisconsin Fast Forward grant program to support technical education in the region.

According to the press release, UW-Stout officials expect between 400 and 600 students to participate in the FUSE program over the four year grant period. The program is expected to officially launch by the end of 2026.