What Governor's Council on Workforce Investment does

The Governor's Council on Workforce Investment (CWI) is a Wisconsin state government advisory council, federally mandated under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, that assists Governor Tony Evers in developing statewide workforce development strategy. The council's core function is to help Wisconsin employers find qualified workers and to provide resources enabling workers to access training for in-demand careers, with the stated goal of moving Wisconsin's economy forward. Its membership is composed of a majority of business leaders plus state legislators, local elected officials, representatives from educational institutions, community-based organizations, and labor representatives; Amy Pechacek (DWD Secretary) serves as CWI Executive Director and Sachin Shivaram as Chair.

The council operates through four standing committees — Education, Employer, Workforce, and WIOA Governance & Resource Alignment — that align to its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Its principal deliverables include the Wisconsin Workforce Pell grant program (launched July 2025 under federal P.L. 119-21), which extends Pell Grant eligibility to students in short-term (150-599 clock hours, 8-15 weeks) career-focused training programs, and the CWI Dashboard, a public performance-tracking tool that monitors progress against the strategic plan. There is no proprietary technology underlying these offerings; the council does not develop or sell software products.

As a government advisory body rather than a commercial enterprise, CWI has no pricing model, no commercial revenue, and no paid customer relationships. Its funding flows through state and federal workforce development appropriations administered via the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), which serves as its operational partner. Program delivery is executed through DWD, local workforce development area boards (including WWDA), and the statewide Job Center network — a distribution footprint that no private workforce intermediary can replicate within Wisconsin.

Name

Governor's Council on Workforce Investment

Legal name

Governor's Council on Workforce Investment

Website

https://wi-cwi.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Governor's Council on Workforce Investment is Wisconsin's federally-mandated WIOA advisory council to Governor Evers, coordinating workforce strategy across state agencies, local boards, employers, educators, and labor to connect Wisconsin employers with trained workers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231), Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (921140)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration (BPAIABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Workforce Development Programs (WIOA/One-Stop Career Centers) (EDAAAOAA), TVET/Skills & Workforce Education Authorities (EDADAAAH)

Keywords

• Workforce development
• Government advisory services
• Workforce investment board
• WIOA governance
• State workforce policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Governor's Council on Workforce Investment (CWI) is a federally-mandated state workforce investment board under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that advises the Governor of Wisconsin and the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) on developing innovative approaches to workforce development. It aids Wisconsin employers in finding workers and provides resources enabling workers to access training for in-demand careers, organized across four focus-area committees (Education, Employers, Workforce, and Organization & Resource Alignment) and operating through initiatives such as Wisconsin Workforce Pell.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wisconsin Workforce Pell A workforce development grant program that expands Pell Grant eligibility to students in short-term, career-focused training programs (150-599 clock hours, 8-15 weeks) aligned with high-skill, high-wage, in-demand occupations. Programs must lead to recognized postsecondary credentials and articulate into related certificate or degree programs.
• CWI Dashboard A dashboard tool that tracks progress on actions in the CWI Strategic Plan across four focus areas: Education, Employers, Workforce, and Organizational & Resource Alignment. Provides metrics aligned to objectives within each focus area.
• Workforce Investment Advisory Services and Resources Advisory council services providing workforce development strategy through four committees (Education, Employer, Workforce, and WIOA Governance & Resource Alignment) that develop policies and initiatives supporting Wisconsin employers and workers across the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan period.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary operational partner; council works closely with DWD to craft comprehensive workforce development strategy. DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek serves as CWI Executive Director. DWD administers WIOA programs and coordinates with the council on workforce initiatives.
• Wisconsin Workforce Development Area Boards (WWDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal workforce development boards operating throughout Wisconsin to implement workforce programs at regional level. WWDA is referenced as a key local workforce development board partner.
• State Agencies and Economic Development EntitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil collaborates with various state agencies and economic development entities to support a robust pipeline that will support private-sector job creators. Required for achieving Governor Evers' vision for workforce development.
• Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institutions are represented on the council and are key partners in workforce development. Council focuses on career pathways, dual enrollment, and aligning education with employer needs.
• U.S. Department of EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency overseeing Pell Grant programs including new Workforce Pell initiative. Coordinates with state workforce boards on program eligibility and implementation under P.L. 119-21.
• U.S. Department of LabormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency overseeing WIOA implementation. Provides strategic plan guidance (Fiscal Years 2022-26) and WIOA resources for state workforce development boards.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Workday: Broad HR and workforce management software platform serving enterprises and governments. Operates adjacent to CWI's mission by enabling talent management, skills tracking, and workforce planning for large organizations.
• ADP: Large-scale employment services, payroll, and HR compliance provider with workforce-management offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent that supports employers' workforce administration, including at state and federal levels.
• Indeed: Major employment marketplace and talent-matching platform. Functionally adjacent to CWI's employer-worker matching mission, operating at national scale across both employers and job seekers.
• ManpowerGroup: Global staffing and workforce-solutions provider with public-sector workforce programs and reskilling initiatives. Operates adjacent to CWI's mission of connecting workers to in-demand jobs and providing training pathways.
• LinkedIn (Microsoft): Global professional network and talent platform with workforce insights, learning, and recruiting products. Adjacent incumbent that operates the employer-worker matching and skills-development functions CWI pursues at the state level.

Direct peers

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): Membership-based HR professional association that influences workforce policy, training standards, and employer practices. Comparable to CWI as a large-scale convener of employers, educators, and policymakers around workforce issues.
• National Skills Coalition: Workforce policy advocacy organization that convenes employers, labor, and training providers around skills policy. Mirrors CWI's coalition-building approach to aligning training with employer demand and federal workforce funding.
• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit that designs and advocates for workforce development and education-to-career pathways. Operates in a similar advisory/convener role to CWI but at a national scale, making it a directly comparable function in the workforce-development ecosystem.
• National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA): Membership association of state workforce agencies administering WIOA programs. The most direct structural counterpart to CWI at the national level, representing the state-agency ecosystem that CWI advises.

Emerging players

• Lightcast (formerly Burning Glass / Emsi): Labor market analytics provider supplying workforce data, skills taxonomy, and demand signals. Comparable to the CWI Dashboard's role in tracking and informing workforce strategy with employer-demand intelligence.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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