Training Programs
Skills Development Fund
The Skills Development Fund is an innovative program created to assist Texas public community and technical colleges to finance customized job training for their local businesses. The Fund was established by the Legislature in 1995 and is administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. Grants are provided to help a business, consortium of businesses, or trade union form partnerships with local community colleges and technical schools to provide custom job training. The Skills Development Fund pays for the training, the college administers the grant, and businesses create new jobs and improve the skills of their current workers. Average training costs are $1,420 per trainee. However, the benefit may vary depending on the proposal. Grants for a single business may be limited to $500,000.
Skills for Small Business Program
The Skills for Small Business Program is an opportunity for small businesses (less than 100 employees) to train new workers or upgrade the skills of incumbent workers. The initiative was implemented by the Texas Workforce Commission in coordination with the Office of the Governor’s Small Business Forums to address the training needs of small business in Texas. Small businesses can apply funds to training offered by their local community or technical college, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service. TWC processes the applications and works with the college to fund the specific courses selected by businesses for their employees. The program funds tuition and fees up to $1,450 per newly hired employee and up to $725 per incumbent employee.
Other Programs
The Self-Sufficiency Fund is a job-training program that is specifically designed for individuals that receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The program links the business community with local educational institutions and is administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. The goal of the Fund is to assist TANF recipients to become independent of government financial assistance. The Fund makes grants available to eligible public colleges or to eligible private, non-profit organizations to provide customized job training and training support services for specific employers. A joint application from the employer and the eligible public college and/or eligible private, non-profit organization is required to be submitted to the Local Workforce Development Board for review and comment prior to approval.
The Texas Back to Work program offers employers wage subsidies of up to $2,000 for hiring qualified out-of-work Texans. Texas Back to Work is available to employers through local workforce development boards through February 2012. The boards also provide employers with workforce recruitment assistance, pre-screening of qualified applicants and training programs.
According to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 27.2 million small businesses operating in America.
