The New Jersey Department of Labor (NJ DOL) recently released information on its Skills Partnership Training Grants for fiscal year (FY) 2018. Individual businesses may apply for up to $50,000 in grants and industry-specific consortiums for a maximum of $250,000 (participating individual businesses are capped at $25,000). 

The grant program is open to the following New Jersey eligible applicants: 

• Individual employers;
• Any employer organization, labor organization, community-based organization or faith-based organization;
• Any industry-specific consortium comprised of two or more of the following: eligible individual employers, employer organizations and labor organizations, and community-based or faith-based organizations.

The Skills Partnership/Customized Training Grant program can contribute up to a maximum of a 50% match to training costs incurred by a New Jersey employer in one of two ways:

1. Reimbursement by clock hour of instruction received from a third party training provider(s). The maximum reimbursement rate of $200 per clock hour for the direct training costs associated with third party training delivery includes:
           •  Tuition fees;
           •  Textbooks, software and other required materials;
           •  Examination and credentialing fees. 
   
   

2. Reimbursement for 50% of the base wages of trainees participating in approved training conducted by the employer. Note this option is only available in direct employer applications and not available under consortium grants delivered by third party training providers

   
   

New Jersey has identified the following industry clusters as targeted sectors for FY2018

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Financial Services
• Health Care
• Bio-Pharma/Life Sciences (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology)
• Construction/Utilities
• Retail, Hospitality and Tourism
• Transportation, Logistics and Distribution.
• Technology

Skills Partnership Grants are for training that would not be able to be conducted without assistance. Programs that are required to be conducted on a regular basis or considered to be a standard business practice may not qualify.

A letter of intent to apply for the first round of grants is due by 12:00 pm on July 19. If you miss this deadline, there are four additional opportunities for you to apply for a training grants. Visit NJ DOL’s website for more information on the Skills Partnership Training Grants for fiscal year (FY) 2018.

Thanks to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 similar programs are offer by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Feel free to contact me at 610.828.1900 or [email protected] if you have questions. I am always happy to help. 

Disclaimer: This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Information contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used as tax advice, and cannot be used by the recipient to avoid penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.  We strongly advise you to seek professional assistance with respect to your specific issue(s).