Stevens Point, WI—The Wisconsin Workforce Development Association (WWDA) has been awarded more than $5 million through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Reentry Employment in Skilled Trades, Advanced Manufacturing, Registered Apprenticeships, and Training (RESTART) Initiative to launch Building Reentry Integration & Development for Growth in Employment Wisconsin (BRIDGE-WI), a statewide workforce strategy focused on preparing justice-involved youth and young adults for careers in Wisconsin’s most in-demand industries.

Through BRIDGE-WI, eight Wisconsin Workforce Development Boards will work in partnership to serve approximately 695 youth and young adults ages 15 to 24 across urban and rural communities, connecting participants to career pathways in advanced manufacturing, transportation, shipbuilding, information technology, construction trades, and emerging AI-related industries. The initiative will provide workforce training, work-based learning opportunities, Registered Apprenticeships, supportive services, and employment placement assistance.

Locally, the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB) will lead BRIDGE-WI efforts in Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland, and Rock Counties. “The BRIDGE-WI project creates opportunities for young adults and provides strategies to move them to full independence,” said SWWDB CEO Rhonda Suda.

“Kicking off in January, 2027, this project fully complements our organizational goal of connecting youth and young adults to the workforce development system,” she added. SWWDB’s share of the grant totals about $654,000.

The investment aligns with the U.S. Department of Labor’s focus on strengthening America’s talent pipeline through industry-driven training, work-based learning, and expanding access to good jobs for underrepresented and untapped talent populations. BRIDGE-WI will help employers address workforce shortages while creating pathways to long-term economic mobility for young people across Wisconsin.

“Employers across Wisconsin continue to face significant workforce challenges while thousands of young people need pathways to education, training, and family-sustaining careers,” said Seth Lenz, WWDA Chair. “This investment allows Wisconsin’s workforce system to strengthen both sides of that equation by connecting talent with opportunity and helping employers build the skilled workforce they need for the future.”

The initiative will leverage existing partnerships with employers, educational institutions, workforce boards, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, apprenticeship sponsors, community organizations, and criminal justice system partners to create a coordinated statewide approach to workforce development and reentry services.

Program participants will gain access to industry-recognized credentials, occupational skills training, paid work experiences, certified pre apprenticeship programs, Registered Apprenticeships, and direct connections to employers in growing sectors of Wisconsin’s economy. The initiative also includes comprehensive supportive services designed to help participants successfully complete training and transition into employment.

The BRIDGE-WI initiative is expected to support stronger employment outcomes, increased credential attainment, expanded apprenticeship participation, and a more resilient workforce pipeline across Wisconsin.

ABOUT THE WISCONSIN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

WWDA proudly represents all 11 workforce development boards across Wisconsin. As designated by the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA), Workforce Development Boards develop strategies that guide regional efforts in ensuring workers have the skills they need to fill the job businesses create, as well as advocate for higher wages for workers, larger profits for businesses, and stronger communities for all.