Wisconsin invests $1.1 million into UW student internship training programs

By Gabriella Hartlaub STAFF WRITER

Gov. Tony Evers announced a $1.1 million investment in internship programs for University of Wisconsin System students last week to combat Wisconsin’s exodus of young workers.

A 2022 study expects Wisconsin’s workforce to shrink by 2030 as older workers retire and young workers leave the state. Evers hoped to counter this trend by funding a Department of Workforce Development (DWD) program called Wisconsin Fast Forward (WFF), which provides grants to UW System schools to connect them with local businesses and fund internship programs for students.

WFF made its return in 2021 after being inactive due to COVID19 restrictions in 2020, according to a program report.

“Recruiting and retaining tal- ented workers, maintaining our state’s economic momentum and preparing our workforce for highdemand fields of the 21st century are major priorities in my 2023-25 biennial budget,” Evers said in a statement last week.

WFF’s 2021 annual report notes the program shifted to “focus on policy issues related to ‘Returnships,’ an innovative programming opportunity at UW-Milwaukee in which disadvantaged students have access