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Wisconsin is set to receive $2.27 million for on-the-job training grants designed to jump start re-employment for dislocated workers experiencing prolonged unemployment by enabling employers to create training and job opportunities.

The grants are part of $75 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds for the training announced by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Friday during a visit to Denver. The National Emergency Grants were made to 41 states, the District of Columbia and three federally recognized Native American tribes, a release said.

“These resources will be used to help Americans get back to work, especially in geographic areas disproportionately impacted by the recession,” according to the release.

Participants will be given a chance to “earn and learn,” which means they will develop applicable occupational skills while earning a paycheck. Employers participating in these on-the-job training projects will receive partial reimbursement to offset the extraordinary cost of training workers, the release said.

The projects will help workers become proficient in needed skills more quickly, which will serve to encourage employers to hire workers sooner than perhaps initially planned, facilitating the private sector hiring of well-qualified individuals to contribute to their bottom line and spur economic recovery.

“Too many Americans are out of work through no fault of their own," U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) said in a statement. "This funding will allow unemployed workers the opportunity to acquire skills they need in order to be successful in the job force while bringing back a steady paycheck to their families."

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