The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has awarded the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) $5 million under the Support to Communities: Fostering Opioid Recovery Through Workforce Development Partnership Grant to provide training, career services, and supportive services to individuals impacted by the opioid crisis.
DWD will subgrant to five local workforce development boards to build local coalitions surrounding opioid recovery and workforce development. Community coalition partners may include employers or industry organizations, treatment and recovery centers, education providers, legal services, community-based and faith-based organizations. The creation of local coalitions brings together regional partners to create a network of support, training, and accountability that will lead to positive employment outcomes and ensures treatment and recovery are addressed in addition to career services.
“Through these local partnerships, DWD seeks to promote a holistic path to employment for individuals impacted by opioid addiction or other substance abuse,” DWD Secretary Caleb Frostman said. “The community partnerships will focus not just on career services, but also bring in experts on treatment and supportive services to help participants succeed.
Additionally, local workforce boards and partners will also provide training for individuals interested in pursuing careers in the field of substance abuse and recovery.
“Slowing the ongoing misuse of opioids and other substances across the state requires well-trained healthcare workers,” Frostman said. “By investing in training in these fields, DWD will expand the population of healthcare workers equipped to aid in opioid recovery, and their work will empower Wisconsinites whose ability to maintain employment has been hampered by opioid addiction.”
The five participating workforce development boards are: Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, North Central Workforce Development Board, Northwest Workforce Development Board, West Central Workforce Development Board, and Southwest Workforce Development Board.