September 2004
Advance Indiana Training Fund
From the Desks of Pat Vercauteren and Jean Whetstone
IVY Tech State College
Grant funds are available to improve the skill levels of Indiana workers.
The Incumbent Worker Training Fund (IWTF) was created when the Indiana General Assembly approved Senate Bill 486 in 2001. This established a ìpoolî of monies with the intention of continued improvement of the skill levels of Indiana workers. The funds are supported through a special assessment based on a company's unemployment insurance (UI) taxable wages. The only grant requirements are that there is a one-to-one funding match and that the workers being trained receive a portable credential that is recognized and carried with the employee throughout their career. Portable credentials include a journeyman's card issued from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, or an associate degree, technical, or career development certificate. They can, also, include occupational certifications such as AWS welding or MOUS computer skills credentials.
These grants can be written to cover the cost of tuition, books and supplies. The company's matching funds come from the salaries and benefits paid to the employees while attending the training. These grants open up advanced training to employees, who otherwise could not afford it and they encourage businesses to do business in Indiana, according to Ray Patnaude, Director of Human Resources with Hubbell/Raco, who has benefited from these grants for the past two years.
Ivy Tech State College can customize the training to meet the company's specific needs. Training can take place on-site at the company or at any Ivy Tech facility. If several companies share the same training needs, they can be joined together in a consortium grant. Economies of scale can be achieved when a few employees of several companies need the same training and can be combined into a full class.
A major purpose of this initiative is to improve Indiana worker's skill levels, increase wage bases in high demand jobs. The program is focused on individual service sectors which include advanced manufacturing, information technology, high-tech distribution and life sciences.
If you are interested in learning more on how your company can take advantage of applying for a grant, you can contact Pat Vercauteren, Director of Apprenticeship and Workplace Learning for Ivy Tech at 317-921-4773. |
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