Last Updated on July 31, 2020 by Region 4 Workforce Board
SOURCE: News release from Region 4 Workforce Board
Region 4 Workforce Board has received $1.5 million in CARES Act funding from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development to support training under the Workforce Ready Grant (WRG) and Employment Training Grant (ETG) programs.
“This is a great opportunity for employers and for individuals interested in enhancing their skills, especially as the economy begins to open up,” said Region 4 Workforce Board CEO, Roger Feldhaus. “The demand for skilled workers has never been greater and it has never been easier to access training.”
Employers and individuals interested in participating in the programs should email training@workonewestcentral.org and provide a phone number. Individuals should provide the name of the county where they live. Employers should provide the name of the county where their business is located.
Under the terms of the funding, the training must begin before the end of 2020.
The WRG for individuals pays for all tuition and regularly assessed fees for qualifying high-value certificates at any eligible training provider. The training must be in these high-growth fields: advanced manufacturing, building and construction, health and life sciences, IT and business services, and transportation and logistics. Under the ETG, employers are reimbursed for training of new or existing workers in the same fields, as well as agriculture. Companies that produce Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) may also qualify. Employers customize the ETG training to their needs, it can be outsourced or in-house, and the minimum curriculum must be 40 hours.
Some key requirements of the WRG/ETG programs have been relaxed or expanded, but only through the end of the year.
Among the changes to the WRG program for individuals: having a post-secondary degree is no longer a barrier to accessing training opportunities; people without a high school degree can now co-enroll in a High School Equivalency (HSE) program and a WRG training opportunity; the list of qualifying occupations has been expanded, and the funding cap per student has been increased from $5,000 to $10,000.
Among the changes to the ETG program for employers: the total reimbursement cap for employers has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000, and the requirement that employers retain a trained worker for at least six months has been waived. The reimbursement per employee remains at $5,000.
The training will be available to qualifying employers and individuals in Economic Growth Region 4, which includes these 12 counties: Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Warren, and White.