Wisconsin is putting $6.6 million behind an ambitious bet: that thousands of factory floor workers, welders, and cheesemakers can be trained to work alongside artificial intelligence rather than be replaced by it. Governor Tony Evers and the state Department of Workforce Development announced Tuesday that 84 employers across the state will share the funding to train 3,823 workers in advanced manufacturing and AI skills, from Fincantieri welders in Brown County learning robotic welding systems to an ice cream maker in Dane County rolling out digital manufacturing tools.
A Grant Program Years in the Making
WisTRAIN is the name of the new round of awards, according to WKOW. The program is supported by federal funding the Evers administration secured specifically for this kind of workforce push. Evers created the Governor's Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence by executive order in August 2023, and it published a final action plan, according to Urban Milwaukee. The task force was created to identify policies and investments to advance workers, employers, and job seekers.
The underlying dollars trace back further still. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development secured a $7.3 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Labor under the federal Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund, an $86 million national initiative that spread awards across 14 states, per In Business Madison. Nationally, federal officials set aside more than $20 million specifically for marine electrical, shipbuilding, and advanced welding trades, which is how a Brown County shipyard ended up in the Wisconsin funding mix.
Welders, Cheesemakers, and Cobots
Fincantieri Marine Group in Brown County received $232,788 to train 82 welders to operate and program collaborative robotic welding systems for U.S. shipyard production, according to the WisTRAIN award list cited by WKOW. In Washington County, Matenaer Corporation landed $239,008 to train 160 employees on an advanced smart manufacturing platform, using a train-the-trainer model to spread the skills across its workforce.
Sheboygan County's Sargento Cheese received $312,699 for on-the-job training for 126 workers as the company relocates manufacturing into a new 384,000-square-foot facility built around new integrated equipment. Waukesha County's Innio Jenbacher North America was awarded $330,000 to train 70 employees for a new manufacturing capability, while Dane County's Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company received $72,800 to train 20 employees ahead of rolling out digital manufacturing systems. Waukesha County's Allen Remodeling and Walworth County's Seven Generation Contractors each received $26,400 to train four workers.
Tony Evers and Amy Pechacek on the Stakes
The grants support workforce training in advanced manufacturing and AI skills, as Wisconsin prepares workers for evolving workplace needs.
WisTRAIN awards support worker training in advanced manufacturing and AI-related skills across Wisconsin.
WisTRAIN's Manufacturing Focus
WisTRAIN includes training in advanced manufacturing, linking the initiative to Wisconsin's industrial workforce.
WisTRAIN funds practical workforce training in advanced manufacturing and AI skills.
A Program Built on Momentum
WisTRAIN also lands on top of an already-growing state training infrastructure. Wisconsin's registered apprenticeship program hit a record 18,524 apprentices in 2025 across more than 3,095 participating employers, marking the fourth consecutive year of record participation, as Hoodline reported in its earlier coverage of the state's apprenticeship boom.
The rollout adds another round of workforce training to Wisconsin's existing training efforts.
