Upgrade the skills of current workers;
Aid the expansion of the business;
Assist employees to obtain higher level, higher wage positions; or
Introduce new technology or equipment.
In order to be eligible for funding, businesses must be located in the Northeast region for one year or more, have at least one full-time employee not counting the business owner, and retain the employee(s) being trained on a full-time basis after training.
Funding is available to cover the cost of tuition and registration fees, instructor costs, training materials (textbooks, manuals, etc.), lease of training equipment and training space and other miscellaneous direct training costs. Expenses that cannot be covered under the program include employee salaries or wages, travel or lodging, costs associated with in-house trainers or in-house training space, purchase of software, equipment, or non-expendable supplies, or capital improvements.
Applications must be received prior to the onset of training. Although there is currently no match requirement, businesses that demonstrate contribution to the cost of training (i.e. paid wages while in training, support for travel expenses, etc.) will be given funding priority. Businesses of 50 employees or less and/or those whose employees will gain a portable credential upon completion of training will also be given funding priority. Businesses have the option of requesting either reimbursement for paid training expenses or payment directly to the training vendor.
Applications must be received before training commences. The Office of Job Training reserves the right to negotiate the amount or type of expenses covered based on application data, so businesses are encouraged to apply well in advance of the training start date.
To obtain an application, contact Michelle Ufford, Executive Director for the Office of Job Training, at (218) 748-2243, (800) 325-5332 or via email at michelle.ufford@state.mn.us.