Valued Voice

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced this week they are now accepting applications for a second round of the Military Pathways Grant Program. This grant program was created to expedite entry into the civilian licensed workforce for current and former military members to support active-duty military and veterans while also addressing workforce issues in Wisconsin.
 
The Military Pathways Grant Program will award up to $50,000 to educational and training institutions seeking to create “crosswalks,” or formal tracks that enable current and former military members to satisfy occupational licensing requirements with training completed during their service. Last year, the Military Pathways Grant Program awarded nearly $50,000 to Milwaukee Area Technical College. DSPS Secretary-designee Dan Hereth notes in the agency’s announcement that creating pathways for service members to maximize their credits and military training helps speed up the process of becoming licensed and employed in high-demand services across the state. DSPS developed the Military Pathways Grant Program in collaboration with the Department of Veteran Affairs (WDVA) in 2021. Through this collaboration, the two agencies offered multiple listening sessions with military, veteran, and educational stakeholders to understand and meet the military community’s needs.
 
These DSPS grants may be of interest to WHA members who wish to partner with educational institutions to implement the Heroes for Healthcare Act established by 2021 Act 158, which creates a pathway for former military medics and corpsmen to provide care in health care facilities while they complete an educational pathway that recognizes their military training and experience.