106.273 Career and technical education incentive grants and completion awards.

(1) Identification of workforce shortages. The department shall annually confer with the department of public instruction and the Wisconsin technical college system to identify industries and occupations within this state that face workforce shortages or shortages of adequately trained, entry-level workers. The state superintendent of public instruction shall annually notify school districts of the identified industries and occupations and make this information available on the Internet site of the department of public instruction.

(2) Approval of programs. The department shall approve industry-recognized certification programs designed to do any of the following:

(a) Mitigate workforce shortages in any of the industries or occupations identified under sub. (1).

(b) Prepare individuals for occupations as fire fighters, emergency medical responders, as defined in s. 256.01 (4p), or emergency medical services practitioners, as defined in s. 256.01 (5).

(3) Incentive grants to school districts.

(a) From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bz), the department shall annually award all of the following incentive grants to school districts:

1m. An incentive grant to a school district that has an industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (a). Subject to pars. (am) and (b), the amount of the incentive grant under this subdivision is equal to $1,000 for each student in the school district to whom all of the following apply:

a. In the prior school year, the student obtained a high school diploma or a technical education high school diploma from a school in the school district.

b. The student successfully completed the program in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (a).

2m. An incentive grant to a school district that has an industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (b). Subject to par. (b), for each such program the school district has, the amount of the incentive grant under this subdivision is equal to $1,000 for each student in the school district who successfully completed the program in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (b).

(am) The department may not make a per student award of $1,000 to a school district under par. (a) 1m. if the industry-recognized certification program completed by the student as a condition of the award under par. (a) 1m. b. is an information technology instructional program developed under s. 115.455.

(b) If the amount available in the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (bz) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount per student under par. (a) 1m. and 2m., the department may prorate the amount of the department's payments among school districts eligible for incentive grants under this subsection.

(4) Completion awards for students. From the appropriation under s. 20.445 (1) (c), the department shall annually award a completion award to a student in the amount of $500 for each industry-recognized certification program approved by the department under sub. (2) (b) that the student successfully completed in a school year in which the program was approved by the department under sub. (2) (b).

(5) Memorandum of understanding. The department and the department of public instruction shall enter into a memorandum of understanding setting forth their respective responsibilities in administering this section. The memorandum of understanding shall provide that the department of workforce development will annually furnish funds to the department of public instruction to make the payments under subs. (3) and (4).

History: 2015 a. 55. ss. 3193b, 3193be to 3193bi; 2017 a. 59, 336, 370.