Workforce training funding available; deadline is Sept. 13

The Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board is offering 50-percent reimbursement to local companies that apply for funding by Sept. 13 for training their workers. More than $300,000 is available, said Virginia Sampietro, the board's director of strategic development. The money is a combination of state and federal funding.

"We were very pleased that the legislature continued to support the funding in these hard times," she said. "I think they really saw the value of upgrading workers' skills."

Employers select the training program, employees to train and the training provider and apply for reimbursement of up to $3,000 per trained worker or $20,000 per company. The wages paid by the company during training are eligible toward the match.

Companies who have priority for qualifying for the funds include those in science, technology, engineering and math (the so-called STEM companies). Also given priority status is training that involves development of critical core workforce skills such as information technology, instrumentation, innovative thinking and entrepreneurial skills, and energy management.

"Within those categories, we have a priority to fund companies we have not funded in the past," Sampietro added.

The deadline for applying is Monday, Sept. 13. Applications are available on the board's website at www.ewib.org.

For more information, contact Sampietro at 860-859-4100, ext. 13 or sampietrov@ewib.org, or the business service representative closest to the employer. They are: Mark Fillmore, 860-412-7021, Danielson; Linda Riquier, 860-465-2120, Willimantic; Kathleen Chartier, 860-859-5767, Norwich, and Garth Swaby, 860-439-7601, New London.