Training Grants To Stimulate Hiring, Business Growth

DANBURY — The Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce recently announced that grants for customized On-the-Job Training (OJT) programs are now available to qualified Newtown businesses through the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB).

For eligible organizations and programs, NRWIB grants will reimburse employers up to 50 percent of eligible employees’ starting wages during their training periods for up to three months, depending on the complexity of the jobs and skill levels addressed by the OJT programs.

The Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce has contracted with Renzulli and Associates, a business consulting firm providing services to nonprofits, to provide free professional counseling and assistance for greater Danbury-area organizations that wish to apply for these grants.

“With the unemployment rate in the greater Danbury area at seven percent and the national unemployment rate quickly approaching ten percent, this continues to be an extremely challenging time for workers and businesses alike,” said Stephen Bull, president of the chamber. “These grants will help area organizations hire and train new workers for jobs that are critical to their long-term growth and profitability, and they will help dislocated workers find good jobs and advance in their careers.”

NRWIB funding is available for eligible organizations and programs throughout the board’s 41-town administrative region encompassing greater Danbury, Torrington, and Waterbury. These funds represent a major investment in the region’s workforce and a significant contribution to the stability of the region’s economy.

“Due to the state of the economy, we have a pool of dislocated workers and we also have many businesses that need skilled workers but may be reluctant to hire new employees at this time,” said Cathy Awwad, executive director of the NRWIB. “These grants, made possible by federal stimulus funds, are designed to help bring dislocated workers and prospective employers together and get people back to work faster.”

Companies in the health care, advanced manufacturing, finance, and information technology industries may be eligible for OJT grants, as well as those in the construction, creative, logistics, maritime, retail, and warehousing sectors. Priority will be given to those organizations that can demonstrate a strong commitment to continuous improvement and frontline worker training, and which offer a safe, healthy workplace and wages and benefits that typically exceed industry averages.

To be eligible for NRWIB grants, OJT programs must be oriented toward significantly improving an organization’s profitability and global competitiveness.

Working cooperatively with grant recipients, the NRWIB will design OJT programs customized to employers’ requirements. OJT programs make use of skilled workers within the recipients’ organizations to provide specialized training for new employees in a skilled occupation.

Employers select these new hires from a pool of individuals who are eligible for OJT programs under the guidelines of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These candidates include WIA-certified individuals as well as dislocated workers whose jobs have been eliminated and who are enthusiastic about learning new skills and progressing in their careers.

Those interested in applying for grants should contact the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce at 743-5565 orinfo@danburychamber.com.