The Workforce Training Fund Program helps address business productivity and competitiveness by providing resources to Massachusetts businesses to fund training for current and newly hired employees.
The program offers several types of grants to support the training needs of businesses of all sizes across the state, although its major focus is on small to medium sized businesses.
A new Express Program is available, allowing applicants to receive their grant award in only 21 days.
Express Program Training Grants:
- Grant funds are limited to $30,000 per company per calendar year, and $3,000 per employee per course.
- Massachusetts businesses of any size may apply.
- In order to qualify, businesses must pay into the Workforce Training Fund. All for-profit companies pay into the fund.
- All trainees must be full-time or part-time payroll employees of the company receiving an Express Program and must be employed in Massachusetts (trainees are not required to live in Massachusetts).
- Contractors or employees of other firms (i.e., temps) are not available to participate in grant-funded training.
- Companies may apply for and receive more than one Express Program grant at a time, up to a total of $30,000 in new grant funds per calendar year.
- Applicants may only select courses that are listed on the Express Course Directory.
- Courses that a company is legally mandated to provide to its employees (i.e. OSHA) are not eligible for reimbursement.
On July 21, 2021, an increase was announced to the reimbursement amount for training courses - from 50% to 100% for firms/companies with fewer than 100 employees, and 50% reimbursement for firms/companies with 100 or more employees. Reimbursement must be requested within 30 days after a course has been completed.
To apply, or learn more about the Workforce Training Fund Program, visit https://workforcetrainingfund.org/programs/express-program-2/. If you have questions about the program, leave a comment below, or feel free to reach out to me directly, I’m happy to help!
