Senator Baldwin Visits Southwest Wisconsin to Discuss $7 Million Investment in Platteville Fire Station and Funding for Workforce Development Programs

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin visited the Platteville Fire Station and Southwest Technical College-Fennimore to highlight federal funding she worked to bring home for Platteville and workforce development in Southwest Wisconsin. 

At the Platteville Fire Station, Senator Baldwin discussed the $7 million investment she secured for the fire station in federal funding legislation that was signed into law by President Biden last month. At the Fire Station, Senator Baldwin met with Adam Ruechel, Platteville City Manager, Barbara Daus, City Council President, Eileen Nickels, City Council President Pro-Tem, Ryan Simmons, Platteville Fire Chief, and Casey Pickel, Platteville Fire Inspector.

Senator Baldwin also visited Southwest Technical College (SWTC) in Fennimore to learn about how federal funding from the American Rescue Plan that she voted for is helping to address workforce needs. 

Baldwin joined SWTC staff, students, and Rhonda Suda, CEO of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board (SWWDB), to tour the Essential (Child) Care program, funded through the American Rescue Plan. The Essential (Child) Care program will fund tuition and subsidized or unsubsidized job placement for 20 participants entering childcare or early childhood education training programs.

SWWDB was awarded over $1.6 million in American Rescue Plan grant funding to serve several projects, including Essential (Child) Care; Accelerated Industrial Maintenance; Power Skills: Transferable-Employability Program; Truck Driver Short-Term Training; and Construction Up, which will offset costs of apprenticeship training up to $5000 and will also provide a participation stipend of $1000 after 1000 hours of training.

Senator Baldwin met with SWTC President Jason Wood, staff and students, to learn how American Rescue Plan funding has been used together with private funding for the Charger Tech 360 program, which offers laptops to enrolled students plus software and technical assistance.

Baldwin also toured the SWTC nursing program. During the pandemic nursing staff and students at SWTC have filled a critical role in COVID-19 vaccinations locally and throughout the state. For years, Southwest Tech has been a strong partner with the Grant County Health Department, Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, and Southwest Health in Platteville.

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