Labor Grant Can Help Finance On-The-Job Training for Idaho Businesses

10/26/2010
Idaho businesses thinking about hiring new employees could benefit from an on-the-job training program the Idaho Department of Labor is coordinating with a $625,000 federal grant.

“This money will help put quality employees back to work with skills that will increase their value to employers across the state,” Department Director Roger B. Madsen said.

Eligible employers are reimbursed for at least 50 percent of the wages they pay to qualified new employees during the on-the-job training period – up to six months depending on the occupation and the trainee's skill level. The job must pay at least $10 an hour and include employer-subsidized benefits.

The Idaho Department of Labor has stepped up its emphasis on business services, and the push to introduce businesses to on-the-job training program is its newest effort to give employers a lift into the next economic expansion.

Employers can call any of the 25 local Labor offices to learn if the jobs they are planning to fill or the employees they want to hire are eligible.

“If a business calls us with a potential employee we can determine eligibility over the phone,” Madsen said. “If the potential worker is eligible, a Labor consultant will complete the paperwork for the employee’s enrollment.”

Learn more about the program or find the nearest local office on the Labor Department website at labor.idaho.gov.

News tag(s): Business Labor Training