Wood County Paper Plant to Receive Wisconsin Fast Forward Grant

Friday, March 3rd, 2023 -- 11:01 AM

From education to eye care to meat snacks, employers across Wisconsin will use more than $3.8 million in Wisconsin Fast Forward grants from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to support worker training programs that put people on the path to employment and higher wages.

The worker training grants will help support 24 employers and serve up to 1,415 trainees across five high-demand sectors. Many of the Wisconsin Fast Forward projects are made possible through partnerships with community organizations, local employers, and industry associations.

The WFF standard grant program awards funds to Wisconsin businesses to reimburse costs associated with occupational training. The grants cover training costs for those who are unemployed or underemployed, as well as for incumbent workers.

Participants who successfully complete the training program will gain opportunities for employment, higher-level employment, or increased wages. In the 2022 fiscal year, DWD's Office of Skills Development awarded and administered more than $4.8 million in WFF grants for an estimated 2,638 trainees.

WFF grants range from $5,000 to $400,000 and projects require a 50% cash or in-kind employer match. The grant program is open to all industry sectors. The training must provide transferrable skills. Individuals eligible for training are incumbent workers, underemployed workers, and the unemployed.

To receive funding, employers must meet these minimum requirements: 85% of the participants must complete training; 65% must gain employment (the unemployed, hired; the underemployed, promoted); 75% of incumbent trainees receive pay raises.

$322,840 to ND Paper, Inc. in Wood County to purchase a B26 Paper Machine that will convert product to recycled packaging grades, making the mill 100% recycled. The proposed training will provide the necessary skill sets for 10 unemployed trainees and 70 incumbent workers to understand the workings of the equipment, process flows and ensure efficient operation.

Incumbent workers could receive a wage increase of 81 cents or more per hour.

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