Funds to Upgrade Employee Skills Now Available

The purpose of Ohio’s Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program is to help Ohioans who have jobs to upgrade their skills and thus improve the competitiveness of the products or services their employers provide. Gov. Kasich recently announced the launch of the second round of the Program and the $30 million in training vouchers now available to employers and workers.

The program is administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) and is operated as a reimbursement plan. First, an employer or employee determines a need in an employee’s workforce skills, as well as a training opportunity to advance that employee’s skills. Second, the employer or employee completes an online application (OhioMeansJobs.com/omj/employer/home.do) at least 30 days, but not more than six months, prior to the starting date of the training.
Vouchers will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis and the maximum voucher amount granted is $250,000 per employer and $4,000 per employee per fiscal year. The total amount awardable under the program is $27 million.
If the application meets the program requirements, a voucher agreement will be formalized between ODSA and the employer. To be eligible, the employer must have operated in Ohio for at least 12 months. Once the application is approved, ODSA reimburses the employer for up to 50 percent of the eligible training costs, up to the per employee and per employer maximums, AFTER 1) the employer pays the full cost of the training, and 2) the employee successfully completes the training.
We would urge potential applicants to quickly decide whether to apply for these vouchers, as past experience says that the $27 million in available funds will go quickly. If you have any other questions, contact me at[email protected].

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