A robust, motivated, well-educated, and highly trained workforce is critical for the retention and expansion of all businesses in Ohio. In their efforts to improve their economic competitiveness, employers must find ways to consistently upgrade the skills of their workforce through educational and training opportunities. To this end, the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program will fill a gap in current workforce development programs by providing needed training dollars to Ohio's incumbent workforce through a unique public-private partnership. The ultimate goal of this program is twofold: allow employers to retain and grow their existing Ohio workforce and create a statewide workforce that can meet the present and future demands in an ever changing economy.
In partnership with Ohiomeansjobs.com, this employer-driven program is targeted to provide direct financial assistance to train workers and improve the economic competitiveness of Ohio's employers. The program is designed to offset a portion of the employer's costs to upgrade the skills of its incumbent workforce and will provide reimbursement to eligible employers for specific training costs accrued during training. The program's funding will be used in conjunction with private contributions to fund skill-upgrade training. Eligible employers must demonstrate that by receiving funding assistance through the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program their business will not only obtain a skilled workforce but will improve their company processes and competitiveness.
Either an employer or employee may apply for the program. In the case of an employee applicant, he or she must have prior approval from his or her employer to submit the application.
Vouchers will be awarded in the form of a Voucher Agreement between the Ohio Development Services Agency and the employer. The program will be administered on a first-come, first-served application process until all of the available funds are committed. After that time, applications will still be accepted and retained in a “queue” in the event that money becomes available.
The fiscal year encompasses the following period: July 1– June 30. An employee may be eligible for up to $4,000 during this period.
Each employer (identified by Federal Employee Identification Number/FEIN) will be eligible for up to $500,000 in assistance per fiscal year. The Voucher Agreement and any Supplements to the Master Voucher Agreement issued to an employer during the fiscal year, aggregated throughout all of its state of Ohio locations, will be included in this calculation. Please note that only one application per employer will be accepted per program year. If an employer has multiple sites, those sites must work together to submit the one application.
We will reimburse the employer for up to 50 percent of the cost of the training (up to $4,000 per employee and/or up to $500,000 per company) once the employer pays the full cost of the training. The employer’s contribution must come from private sources and must not include any previously acquired public funds. The match does not include wages.
No. The training provider is to be selected independently by the employer and/or employee (with employer approval) and may be a public, private, or in-house trainer.
Once the required documentation has been collected, an employer will submit them to:
The Ohio Development Services Agency
Office of Strategic Business Investments
Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program
77 South High Street
28th Floor
Columbus OH 43215-1001
The applicant employee must be an Ohio resident who is currently employed directly by an eligible employer at an Ohio facility.
Any employees, other than employees that are also owners of the company, are eligible for the program.
Training must begin within 180 days (six months) from the application submission date or June 30, 2013–whichever date is first. Training must be completed by June 30, 2013.
Please note that training will only be considered if submitted at least 30 days prior to the start date of training to allow time for the Ohio Development Services Agency to review and process. While the effective date of the Agreement will be the Application approval date, any costs incurred or monies expended by the Applicant on the Project prior to final approval and the execution of the written Agreement, is done at the Applicant's own risk. Applicant's decision to go forward does not obligate the state of Ohio to provide state assistance that has not received all required approvals or has not been memorialized in a written Agreement between the Applicant and the state of Ohio.
Yes, reimbursement for tuition reimbursement will be eligible as long as both the employee and the training meet the eligibility requirement. The course(s) must be related to the employee’s current position or to a position in which they are looking to advance within that company.
No.