Training

Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program (GGWFP)

• State Dollars. Requires completion of Business Assistance Form.
• Private for profit company.
• Funding decision based on variety of factors: need, wages paid vs median per capita income of area, etc.
• Can do internal training and pay internal trainers wages.
• Major priority for training is in the manufacturing sector (entry-level, expanding, and upgrade for retention). (Retail, construction, and service organizations, such as retail outlets, construction firms, hotels/motels, restaurants, and other non-manufacturers make their business decisions because of existing business activity in an area; and training support, in these industry sectors, is not an economic development factor. Therefore, these organizations and/or businesses cannot be considered for funding by the GGWFP
  
  New and Expanding Projects:
• Creation of a minimum of 10 net new jobs within a twelve-month period.
• No cash match required.
  
  Existing/Incumbent Projects:
• Must be in business in West Virginia at least one year.
• 50/50 cash match required.
• Training must provide portable credential, wage upgrade, or job upgrade with backfill, and in a targeted industry or occupation with documented skill shortage.

Competitive Improvement Program

• Federal dollars through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
• Can assist either small (less than 50) and medium size (50 - 500) manufacturers that have been in business for a minimum of 1 year. Can not assist fortune 500 companies.
• 50/50 cash match and an in-kind contribution.
• Can not assist with internal training.
• Do not have to be creating jobs but do have to show need for work force training to support a competitive improvement activity.

Small Business Work Force Program (SBWF)

• Assist small business only (less than 50 employees).
• Reimburses costs of pre-approved technology and technical training with up to $5,000 in grants designed to enhance competitiveness and expand markets. ($10,000 for technology businesses).
• For profit businesses only that have been in business at least 1 year.
• Can not pay for internal training.
• Have less than $2.5 million in revenues ($3.5 for technology businesses).
• SBWF can underwrite regulatory compliance training.
• SBWF also works with business associations to underwrite marketing and customer-service training for groups of small businesses.

Workforce Development Initiative

• HB3009 Program
• College must submit application on behalf of company and/or companies A working partnership must be established between the college and the private sector and a plan developed to improve work force quality, then establish their own revolving fund dedicated to work force development initiatives.
• Encourages working partnerships between educational institutions and the business community to fulfill a common goals.
• One-to-one match from the private sector in order to secure grant funds. Cash or equipment is the only in-kind allowed. One-to-three match may be allowed for hard-ship areas.
• College can serve as a broker for grantee if they can not provide the need directly.
• Special consideration given to initiatives that involves business's with fewer than fifty employees.