New UW System project aims to teach employable skills to incarcerated students

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- There's no single solution to Wisconsin's workforce shortage, but a new partnership hopes to help address the problem. 

The state Department of Workforce Development, the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the UW System announced a new project that will teach employable skills to students who are in prison. But the purpose of this effort goes far beyond just getting people employed.

"Through this collaboration we have the potential to reduce Wisconsin's disparities in education, income and incarceration, while simultaneously improving our communities by tackling workforce shortages head-on," said Kevin Carr, DOC secretary.

The UW System project, led by UW-Parkside, is among 12 regional projects receiving a total of up to $59.5 million in grants.