Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development have announced $6.6 million in WisTRAIN grants to 84 employers. The program is expected to train 3,823 workers in advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence skills, using federal funding.
Among the largest Northeast Wisconsin awards, Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac County is listed at $330,000 for a tiered AI training program covering more than 1,200 current employees and 65 new hires. The City of Oshkosh is listed at $327,360 to train city workers in data literacy, digital workflow and responsible AI use.
In Sheboygan County, Sargento Cheese is listed at $312,699 to train 126 current workers as the company moves production into a new 384,000-square-foot facility. Georgia-Pacific and Old World Creamery, also in Sheboygan County, received smaller training awards.
Brown County employers are also on the list, including Fincantieri Marine Group at $232,788 to train welders to work with collaborative robotic welding systems, and New-Cell LLC, part of Nsight, at $262,800 for generative AI training through gener8tor.
State officials say the projects are meant to help employers adopt new technology while giving workers industry-recognized skills, with training delivered through employer and education partnerships.
