Governor Evers Visits Lakeshore Technical College to Announce $1.64M Grant to Launch Training & Upskilling Initiative

Funding will help address career and knowledge gaps putting regional economic stability at risk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

6/21/2022

CLEVELAND, WI —

Governor Tony Evers was on Lakeshore Technical College’s Cleveland campus today to announce the college has been selected to receive funding through Governor Evers’ Workforce Innovation Grant program. The college is receiving a $1.64 million grant to fund its Lakeshore Industry 4.0 Pathways and Upskilling initiative. The initiative addresses the pandemic-exacerbated critical labor shortage threatening the economic stability of the region, which is manufacturing-heavy.

The initiative will fund training and education efforts focusing on training underserved populations and upskilling current workers in automation, robotics, and “Industry 4.0.” Industry 4.0 is a term referring to a new phase in the Industrial Revolution that focuses heavily on automation, machine learning, and real-time data to optimize performance.

Equipment purchases will include an additional mobile lab that will allow Lakeshore to take training to places in the community, including homeless shelters and community resource centers, and reach underserved populations. This “4.0 On-the-Go” training will support the need for more skilled employees including production workers and machine operators. There will be no cost for those obtaining the training. The mobile lab will also be taken into area rural high schools to generate interest in manufacturing careers among younger individuals. 

Lakeshore’s “4.0 Fridays” upskill training focuses on providing current production workers and machine operators with education and training to help them better understand automatic and robotics. According to a 2022 Industry 4.0 Needs, Skills, and Talent Survey, 79% manufacturers have invested heavily in automation and robotics over the last two years. This grant will help them overcome the career and knowledge gaps they report are preventing them from growing and prospering.

Grant activities will begin next month and end in December 2024.

Lakeshore Technical College President Dr. Paul Carlsen introduces Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers to a crowd gathered in the campus robotics lab June 21. Governor Evers announced the awarding of a $1.64 million grant to the college.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers congratulates Lakeshore Technical College’s President Dr. Paul Carlsen on receiving a $1.64 million grant from the Governor’s office. The announcement was made to a packed crowd in the campus robotics lab June 21. 

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was on Lakeshore Technical College’s Cleveland campus June 21 to announce a $1.64 million grant award to the college from the Governor’s office.