Use a WisTRAIN grant to pay for your team's AI training

Wisconsin has a new, fully federally funded grant that reimburses employers for training workers in AI. If you have been meaning to get your team up to speed, the state will now cover most of the bill.

Up to 80%
of eligible training costs reimbursed by the state
$6,600
maximum reimbursement per employee trained
$330,000
maximum per employer or group of employers
Timing. The first review round closes July 13, 2026. After that, the state keeps accepting applications on a rolling basis until the money runs out. If you miss the first round, it is still worth applying, but the funds are limited and awarded first come, first served.

The program is called WisTRAIN, short for Wisconsin Training for Resilient Advanced Industry Needs. It is run by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and paid for entirely by a U.S. Department of Labor grant. It reimburses Wisconsin employers of any size for training their people in AI and advanced manufacturing.

One important detail: the grant is employer-led. The state does not take applications from training companies directly. You, the employer, apply and direct the training. But the state specifically encourages employers to name a training partner in the application, and that is where WiscAI comes in. You apply and run the grant. We deliver the AI training it pays for, and we can help you write the training plan and cost estimate that go into your application.

Program details above are from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Confirm current terms and apply at dwd.wisconsin.gov/wistrain. WiscAI is a training partner, not the grant administrator, and cannot guarantee any application will be approved.

From application to trained team

Three steps, and we help with the parts that involve the training itself.

Step 1

You apply, we scope the training

You submit the WisTRAIN application as the employer. We help you define what your team should learn, who should be trained, and what it costs, so your application has a clear, credible training plan attached.

Step 2

We deliver the AI training

Once you are approved, WiscAI trains your people. Leadership education, hands-on workshops on your real tasks, and role-specific upskilling. Built around the work your team actually does.

Step 3

The state reimburses you

You pay for the training and the state reimburses your covered share, up to 80%. We provide the documentation you need for the reimbursement side of the grant.

AI training built for how your team works

Not a generic slideshow. Your people work on their own tasks, with AI, and leave able to keep going.

Wisconsin employers ready to move

WisTRAIN is open to Wisconsin employers of any size. It fits especially well for manufacturers, finance and insurance teams, and professional service firms, the kinds of businesses where a lot of skilled work is still done by hand and AI can give people real time back.

If you have wanted to train your team on AI but the cost or the where-do-we-even-start question kept stopping you, this grant removes most of the cost, and we handle the where-do-we-start. The first-round clock is short, so the useful next step is a quick call to see whether a WisTRAIN application makes sense for you before July 13.

Talk through a WisTRAIN application

A short call to see if the grant fits your team, what training would look like, and what to put in the application. No pressure, and no charge for the conversation.

Book a Call