Rep. Warren Petryk

As Chairman of the Workforce Development Committee, I have worked to ensure that our state invests in programs and ideas that will make an impact on our workforce shortage crisis. One way I have done this is by supporting initiatives to strengthen our K-12 talent pipeline, ensuring students gain the skills needed to be career-ready. This includes expanding the Youth Apprenticeship program and Technical Education Equipment grants to provide access to equipment that schools can use to teach emerging technologies.

In addition, to help students succeed, they need to have industry-certified credentials to demonstrate their skills to potential employers. That is why I authored and created Wisconsin’s Career and Technology Education grant program in 2013.

This program, which former State Sen. Gudex and I passed, provides grants to schools offering the necessary classes and testing for high school students to earn industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields. Each year the state Department of Public Instruction would work with the Department of Workforce Development to come up with an updated list of what jobs are in demand for our state. By structuring the program this way we created a win-win-win for the student, school, and for the businesses in our area seeking talent.

Since the initial bill was signed into law, its success continues to grow, as does its impact on our students and the workforce. When the first grants were distributed in the spring of 2015, 228 school districts claimed reimbursement for 3,400 pupils. Since then, over the last few budget cycles, I’ve been able to nearly triple the original investment for this program. With this new level of funding in 2023, over 339 school districts participated in the program, with over 11,000 pupils involved.

I’m happy to report that we have expanded this program to address workforce shortages in rural fire and EMS departments. The program now provides direct awards to students who complete basic EMT or firefighting training, alongside grants to schools. This expansion, paired with a recent budget motion to create a youth volunteer firefighter program, has helped create needed interest in this field. Last year, 158 students graduated with this credential and are now actively serving their communities.

It’s wonderful that this innovative program I worked on over 10 years ago has continued to expand and help the students of our state. It shows how a simple, yet impactful idea can help students become career-ready while contributing to the success of our state. On, Wisconsin!