Moraine Park Technical College was again awarded Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grants from the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). The College’s Economic & Workforce Development team submitted six grants for consideration for $1,170,596–the highest in the state for two consecutive years. Moraine Park received full funding for all six grants, which will support over 49 companies and almost 6,000 hours of training.
Approximately $5 million is available each year in the WAT competitive application process to fund projects in partnership with a single business or consortium of businesses.
“Public-private partnerships supporting growth in our communities is at the core of our economic and workforce development initiatives,” JoAnn Hall, dean of economic and workforce development at Moraine Park, said. “Moraine Park is proud to support area business partners with grant funding through WTCS. This year’s grant awards support 6,000 hours of training initiatives across 49 employers in the MPTC district. These training projects assist our partners in their efforts to retain and engage employees while fostering extensive skill and career growth for over 2,000 individuals.”
The grants were written for consortium initiatives in quality and advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance, advanced automation and robotics, leadership, welding, fabrication and supervision.
The College has received over $1 million in WAT grant funding for each of the past four consecutive years and is the leading recipient in the state this year. The Wisconsin Technical College System has distributed WAT grants since 2005 to support employers in their efforts to retain and advance the skills of their workforce. WAT grant funds promote increased investment in the development of incumbent workers, improve Wisconsin businesses’ productivity and competitiveness, and expand technical college training to local businesses and industry.
The grant process involves discussions with company leaders from several business areas to uncover regional challenges and needs, such as increasing sales, fulfilling greater customer demands, recruiting and retaining employees, and more. MPTC conducts a business assessment and, in collaboration with individual companies, develops a long-range strategic training plan focusing on their specific goals. One example of this collaboration is Moraine Park’s partnership with Fleet Farm, a local company benefiting from specialized training made possible by grant funding.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Moraine Park Technical College to offer the ‘Leading Others’ training course to our Team Members,” Amanda Connaher, manager of training and development at Fleet Farm, said. “At Fleet Farm, investing in our employees is a top priority, and this program was specifically chosen to support the growth of emerging leaders within our organization. This training equips our team with the skills, confidence, and mindset needed to lead with purpose and drive results. By strengthening leadership across our stores, we’re not only empowering our employees—we’re enhancing the experience for our customers and reinforcing our commitment to serving our communities across the Midwest.”
For more information on Moraine Park’s Economic and Workforce Development efforts, visit morainepark.edu/business-industry.