Get Money. Develop People.

How would you like a good chunk of change to help you develop your staff’s skills? The State of Connecticut Department of Labor is eager to help you train your team and stay competitive. I am happy to tell our clients they may be eligible for reimbursement of 50% of training costs from $5,000 up to $50,000 through the Department of Labor’s Incumbent Worker Training Program.

Qualifying programs include basic employee skills, written and oral communication, math or science, and training in technical skills. Previous grant programs only included technical skills but the program has been expanded to cover many other types of knowledge and skill development. Some of the programs for which our clients were able to obtain grant money include Business Development, Coaching, Time Management, Delegation, Handling Difficult Conversations and Leadership Development.

Funds are allocated regionally at the start of the state fiscal year, July 1, but there are often funds available for certain projects throughout the year. While the grants are focused on high-growth industries such as Advanced Marketing, Healthcare, Finance and Bioscience, there are opportunities for other businesses as well.  The best way to find out what your business may qualify for is to connect directly with a DOL Business Services staff person who will work closely with you to determine your eligibility and support you through the process. I highly recommend Lori-lynn Chatlos, Business Services Specialist for Fairfield County. She is great to work with, makes the process easy and gets rave reviews from clients and providers.

There are other programs that help CT businesses as well:

• The Manufacturing Incumbent Worker Training Fund offers CT manufacturers grants up to $50,000 to maintain and increase skills within their workforce and covers tuition, training materials, and trainer fees.
• The Manufacturing Innovation Fund- Apprenticeship Program helps manufacturers start or increase apprenticeship programs through wage subsidies of up to $13,000 and tuition reimbursement for up to five apprentices.
• The American Apprenticeship Initiative Fund covers apprenticeship tuition costs up to $3,500 for non-traditional apprenticeships in Health Care, Information Technology, Business Services and Advanced Manufacturing.
• On-the-Job grants are available for new hires including those displaced by trade-impacted job losses, military veterans, individuals with disabilities and some long-term unemployed individuals. This program offers wage subsidies and can be combined with classroom training programs.

 Your employees are your most valuable asset. Skilled, committed people add financial value to any business. Investing in your employees’ development contributes to higher employee engagement, reduces turnover and improves your ability to attract and retain high-quality staff.
Lack of development opportunities is the number one reason millennials switch jobs.

Ask yourself- what skills, if improved, would have the most impact on your bottom line? Getting reimbursed for 50% of the cost is just the start!

Programs, grants, and funds availability change frequently. For the most current  information about the CT DOL programs, contact Lori-lynn Chatlos [email protected] 203-455-2601 or check out their website: www.ct.gov/dol