WIRED, an acronym for Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development, is a federally funded grant program.

WIRED a part of the federal High Growth Job Training Initiative.  This initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take advantage of new and increasing job opportunities in high growth, high demand and economically vital sectors of the American economy. Fields like health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing have jobs and solid career paths left untaken due to a lack of people qualified to fill them. The High Growth Job Training Initiative targets worker training and career development resources toward helping workers gain the skills they need to build successful careers in these and other growing industries.

To put this approach into action, the federal Department of Labor, Education & Training Administraton identified 14 industry sectors that fit within the following criteria:

1.       they are projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries; or

2.       they are existing or emerging businesses being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new skills sets for workers.   

Of these 14 industry sectors, the South Central-Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Boards and their partners identified those sectors that currently exist or are emerging in this geographic region of the state.  These industry sectors are listed below.

To learn more about the WIRED Initiative, and the High Growth Job Training Initiative, visit the Department of Labor website: http://www.doleta.gov/wired/

Architecture & Construction

Agriculture

Biotechnology

Engineering

Health Sciences

Manufacturing

Utilities