The CTE Incentive Grants program, operated in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, allows two types of payments:
District incentive grants to incentivize Wisconsin school districts to provide or otherwise make available opportunities for high school students to earn industry-recognized certifications prior to graduating. The student must have graduated in the previous year from the district that submits the claim. The certification must be on the approved certification list and be supported by the required documentation. Incentive grants may be up to $1,000 per approved claim paid out to the school or district, but the amount is prorated based on the total number of claims approved for pay.
A new step has been added to the claims process. CTE Incentive grants are administered by the Department of Workforce Development in collaboration with the DPI. The claims contain students’ "personally identifiable information" (PII) and, therefore, can only be shared by the DPI with the DWD as limited by the federal law governing student education records (FERPA). This new step includes securing district consent for the DPI to share this data with the DWD. This consent will take place with the graduating class of 2025 and the process will be available starting March 2025.
Please share this guidance with your staff that is responsible for submitting the CTE incentive grant claims. PLEASE NOTE: it is highly likely that no additional documentation or work, beyond what districts have already been undertaking to complete the claims process, will be required. The DPI is providing this guidance to ensure no, or minimal, additional work is required on behalf of districts.
Student completion awards (SCAs) to incentivize students to prepare for careers in medical emergency services and fire services by becoming certified. Five specific certifications have been approved for SCAs. Certifications are of six types: Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician ( EMT), Fire Fighter I, Fire Fighter II, and Fire Inspector. Each approved SCA is $500, which is paid directly to the student.
The student completion award (SCA) claim process has been streamlined into a single claim made by the school/district for the district incentive grant and the student completion award.
Eligibility
School districts can claim funds for graduating students who earn a credential from the certification list for their graduating year.
Resources
Go to the Department of Workforce Development's CTE Incentive Grants page for the following:
- Approved Certifications List
- Training & Resources
Industry and Occupational Shortage List - By statute, this annual list must "identify industries and occupations within this state that face workforce shortages or shortages of adequately trained, entry-level workers."
Awards Reporting
CTE Incentive Grant Summary by District
CTE Incentive Grant Summary by Approved Certifications Earned
Payments have been distributed to school districts. Please note that these CTE Incentive Grants are not considered cost reimbursement grants; therefore, funds do not need to be spent by the end of fiscal year in which it is awarded, nor do claims need to be made to DPI for spending.
Student Completion Award (SCA) Analysis
Checks for eligible completion awards will be mailed directly to the students at the addresses provided through the application process. Returned checks will be sent an additional time. If returned a second time, the money will be returned to the fund. If a district becomes aware that a student's permanent address has changed between the time that the claim was submitted and the following June, they should contact DETCTEGrants@dwd.wisconsin.gov to update the address.
Contact
Questions regarding the Incentive Grant contact:
DWD CTE Program Lead
Incentive Grant email
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Division of Employment and Training
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Incentive Grants Program