Chuck Yung
EASA Senior Technical Support Specialist

The training issue is so critical that many state and provincial governments in the U.S. and elsewhere offer financial help to good employers—such as the electrical apparatus service and sales industry—for training. These programs are usually administered through state employment offices and are not to be confused with programs for the “chronically unemployed.” 

Here’s An Example From A Fellow EASAN 
Ron Widup, general manager of Shermco Industries in Dallas, Texas, recently secured a substantial training grant from a state-administered program. Texas has a proactive training assistance program (called SmartJobs) which provides training grants of up to $3,000 per employee per year.

The program requires in-kind matching by the grant recipient. This does not mean that a $100,000 grant requires a business to invest $100,000. “In-kind matching” varies from 10 percent to 100 percent, depending on the size of the company. 

It Gets Better 
The company contribution includes total legitimate training costs, including the employees’ wages (for schooling and training time), cost of training materials (e.g., the EASA Vo-Tech training program), and administrative costs. Even capital expenses for training equipment or facilities are covered under some programs. 

The particulars vary from state to state, but there is often financial help available for those serious about improving the quality of their workforce. And the application process requires less effort than for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan.

For more information, contact your state or province economic development department.