As originally published by Megan Marshall for Spectrum News 1.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. — The Biden administration is making investments in Wisconsin.
On Friday, members of his team announced federal funding heading to the Milwaukee area to help further the roll out of more electric vehicle charging stations across the country.
“If you don’t do right in Wisconsin, we haven’t done right by Americans,” said acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su. Acting Secretary of Labor, Julie Su, made the visit to Wauwatosa on Friday.
Su shared in a press conference that $46.5 million will be spread across 30 brand new electric vehicle charging projects across the country.
One of those projects is in the Milwaukee area.
“This investment is about making sure that we are training workers for these jobs,” said Su. “Not just training them for the hope of a job, but for a job that is actually coming.”
Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP | BIG STEP) received over $1.6 million. WRTP | BIG STEP is a nonprofit that works to bring women and people of color into the trades.
The money will help further its mission and provide a larger workforce for when more EV stations need to be built across the U.S. and in Wisconsin.
“This incredible funding from the Department of Energy, joint with the Department of Transportation and Department of Labor, will really help us expand our certified pre-apprenticeship programs so we can plug and play the necessary skills that are inherent and integral to EV charging stations, the clean economy, broadband expansion, construction, and manufacturing,” said WRTP | BIG STEP president and CEO, Lindsay Blumer.
This type of programing has made an impact on countless lives over the years.
Jordan Cook-Carter is an apprentice with a local electric company. Cook-Carter said he used WRTP | BIG STEP services to get to where he is today.
“For WRTP | BIG STEP to take the initiative and actually help people see there is a different way to do this, you can actually achieve this goal you want,” said Cook-Carter.
Cook-Carter said he hopes this funding will allow for more women and people of color join the trades and be a part of a growing and much needed workforce.
“Seeing more people that look like me and are more relatable to me is really good coming from the community,” he said.