By: centraljersey.com
Commissioner Harold J. Wirths announced Sept. 13 that the Christie Administration is investing $3.25 million in the first round of training grants awarded though the Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Customized Training and Literacy Basic Skills Training grants program.
A total of 59 grants were awarded to companies and consortia of multiple employers through a competitive process. Additional funds will be awarded on a competitive basis in the coming months.
"Building a skilled workforce is an important component of this administration’s overall economic development agenda," said Commissioner Wirths. "The investment we are making through these grants, even in a difficult fiscal year, will fund training in the specific skills employers identified as necessary for their businesses to become more competitive and successful for the future."
The grants will assist more than 190 participating companies to raise the productivity and skills of their workers and increase their ability to compete in the global economy. The grants will be used to provide training to more than 10,000 individuals.
More than 68 percent of the grants will assist small and medium-size businesses and over one-third of the grants will assist manufacturing companies. The grants will leverage an additional $4.9 million investment in training from the participating companies.
Deputy Commissioner Richard E. Constable III said the grant process is designed to increase the competitive edge of New Jersey employers. "This is just the first round of grants that will be awarded during the fiscal year. I encourage businesses to examine their training needs and see if a cooperative investment through these grants can help their businesses and their workers better compete in today’s global economy."
The Customized Training and Literacy Training grants are funded by the state’s Workforce Development Partnership Program. Customized Training grants provide training geared to the specific needs of each business. Workplace Literacy Training helps incumbent workers improve vital workplace skills in basic computer applications, mathematics and measurement, verbal, written, and customer service communications, and English as a second language.
Individual businesses or consortia of businesses led by educational institutions, non-profit organizations, trade associations and labor unions are eligible to apply for grants on an on-going basis. Information on grants, how to apply and grant recipients, can be found at: http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/employer/training/incentives_training_index.html.
