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Task Force identifies workforce actions, calls for state funding and partnerships to support BEAD
Summary
After PSC updates on BEAD and PSC grant deadlines, task force breakout rooms proposed apprenticeships, gap analyses with DPI/UW/DWD, and state budget support to sustain training when federal non‑deployment funds are limited.
At the Jan. 21 meeting of the Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access, members moved from updates to action planning: breakout groups proposed specific near‑term items the state could consider to accelerate and sustain a broadband workforce.
The Public Service Commission reported that Wisconsin's BEAD final proposal has been approved by NTIA and that the PSC is completing pre‑award steps including NEPA reviews and executing grant agreements; PSC staff also publicized three current grant opportunities with combined funding of about $1.75 million and near‑term application deadlines.
In breakout discussions task force participants identified repeatable short‑term actions: conduct a policy and gap review among DPI (K‑12), the UW System and the Department of Workforce Development to map pathways and credential gaps; scale up youth apprenticeships and technical‑college broadband modules; and create a broadband workforce coalition to coordinate employers, technical colleges, libraries and local workforce boards. One breakout flagged the Wisconsin Fast Forward grants and recommended exploring state budget allocations to cover workforce training if federal non‑deployment funds are restricted.
"Identify existing resources, then identify gaps and work with local entities to meet funding needs to move existing workforce to higher‑skilled roles," a breakout spokesperson said when reporting a proposal to partner DWD with local employers and unions to fund cross‑sector training.
Facilitators urged specificity: task force members were asked to list named partner agencies (for example, the Wisconsin Technical College System, Department of Workforce Development, Department of Public Instruction, UW System, local workforce boards and libraries) rather than generically saying "the state." Several groups produced future‑state headlines designed to focus recommendations — examples included "Fiber builds to workforce career paths: how Wisconsin turned broadband expansion into a workforce development win" and "Wisconsin closes the digital divide." Each headline was accompanied by at least one proposed action and partner list.
Next steps: the task force will refine the breakout proposals into recommended actions for the governor's office with the goal of delivering strategic recommendations by June 30. The next meeting is Feb. 18 at 1:00 PM.
