Employer Services

The Region VI WDB provides WIOA funded training services to employers located in the Region VI service area, which includes the following counties:

Barbour, Braxton, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Lewis, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Randolph, Taylor, Tucker, and Upshur.

Training must be for positions that provide full time, year-round employment in a Demand Occupation. Click here to see the Region VI definition of a Demand Occupation.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) On-the-Job Training (OJT) is:

Training of a new hire or upskilling of a current employee in a specific occupational area utilizing the employer’s training methods, facilities, and resources while the trainee is involved in production activities on the job;
Training for a maximum training period determined by the level of difficulty of the training and skill level of the employee;
Training conducted with a commitment by an employer to retain an individual on successful completion of the training period;
Training for which the employer pays for not less than 25%-75% percent of the hourly wage.

The benefits of upgrading a company’s workforce through OJT include:

Improving the company’s competitive edge;
Boosting the morale of workers by investing in their future with the company; and
Reducing the company’s extraordinary costs associated with training of employees in new production techniques or services.

Specifications

WIOA On-the-Job Training funds can be used to fund training for WIOA eligible participants who need to obtain or retain employment in which they can earn a self-sufficient living wage.

Before an OJT potential new hire can start work and proceed in training under an OJT with an employer, the individual must be determined WIOA eligible by a Career Planner located in one of the four Region VI Workforce West Virginia Centers, and a contract must be signed by the employer outlining the training to be given and the wages to be paid along with the reimbursement amount agreed upon. This process also applies if the OJT potential individual is a current employee who will be participating in an OJT in order to move into a position requiring new skills.

Overtime, holiday, or sick leave hours, benefits, and fringes are not included in reimbursement calculations.

CUSTOMIZED TRAINING

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Customized Training is:

Training designed to meet the needs of an employer (including a group of employers);
Training conducted with a commitment by an employer to continue to employ an individual on successful completion of the training;
Training for which employers pay for not less than 50% percent of the cost of training;
Training which relates to the introduction of new technologies, introduction to new production or service procedures, upgrading to new jobs that require additional skills, workplace literacy, or other appropriate purposes identified by the Local Board;
Training which will be limited to the period of time required for a participant to become proficient in the occupation for which the training is being provided.

The benefits of upgrading your workforce through Customized Training include:

Improving your company’s competitive edge
Boosting the morale of your workers by investing in their future with your company; and
Reducing your company’s extraordinary costs associated with training of employees in new production techniques or services.

Customized Training can:

· Be designed for any number of employees;

· Be conducted in a classroom setting on or off of your worksite;

· Be conducted by internal or external trainers of your choice;

· Utilize online courses led by an instructor or be self-paced (with documentation of hours logged on for training); or be a combination of all of the above.

Specifications

WIOA Customized Training funds can be used to fund training for WIOA eligible individuals who:

· Need training in order to retain a job;

· Need training which will give them the opportunity to advance their position within a company and/or increase their earnings potential; and/or

· Need to obtain employment in which they can earn a self-sufficient living wage.

Prior to start of employment, those individuals who will be trained must be determined WIOA eligible by a Career Planner located in one of the four Region VI Workforce West Virginia Centers, and a contract must be signed by the employer outlining the training to be given and the wages to be paid along with the reimbursement amount agreed upon.

INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING

Incumbent Worker Training – Training designed to meet the special requirements of an employer (or group of employers) to retain a skilled workforce or avert the need to lay off employees by assisting workers in obtaining the skills necessary to retain employment and conducted with a commitment by the employer to retain or avert laying off incumbent worker(s) that are trained in order to increase the competitiveness of the employee and/or employer.

Incumbent Worker – An individual who is employed, meets Fair Labor Standards Act requirements for an employer-employee relationship, and has an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more.

The Region VI WDB will consider the following factors when determining the eligibility of employers to receive the WIOA share of funds to provide training to incumbent workers using either, local Adult and/or Dislocated Worker formula funds or WIOA statewide discretionary funds provided by the Governor:

The characteristics of the incumbent workers to be trained, specifically the extent to which they historically represent individuals with barriers to employment as defined in WIOA Section 3(24), and how they would benefit from retention or advancement;
The quality of the training (e.g., industry-recognized credentials, advancement opportunities);
The number of participants the employer plans to train or retrain;
The wage and benefit levels of participants (before and after training);
The employer must not have laid off workers within 6 months and must have a commitment to retain or avert the layoffs of the incumbent worker(s) being trained;
The employer must not be delinquent in unemployment insurance or workers’ compensation taxes, penalties, and/or interest.
The WDB will document these factors in approving an incumbent worker training project with an employer.

Employer Share of Training Costs:

Employers participating in incumbent worker training are required to pay the non-WIOA (non-federal) share of the cost of providing training to their incumbent workers. Employers will be reimbursed the WIOA (federal) share. The employer share is based on the size of the workforce (wages paid to the participant while in training can be included as part of that share) as follows:

• At least 10 percent of the cost for employers with 50 or fewer employees

• At least 25 percent of the cost for employers with 51 to 100 employees

• At least 50 percent of the cost for employers with more than 100 employees

TRANSITIONAL TRAINING

Employers may utilize Transitional Training to provide prospective employees with a 100% subsidized short-term period of employment, which could transition into permanent employment under an OJT contract.

A transitional job is one that provides a limited work experience, that is subsidized in the public, private, or non-profit sectors for those individuals with barriers to employment because of chronic unemployment or inconsistent work history; these jobs are designed to enable an individual to establish a work history, demonstrate work success, and develop the skills that lead to unsubsidized employment.

Before a transitional training potential individual can start work and proceed in training with an employer, the individual must be determined WIOA eligible by a Career Planner located in one of the four Region VI Workforce West Virginia Centers, and a contract must be signed by the employer.

Region VI will use transitional jobs as an employment strategy that seeks to overcome employment barriers and transition people with labor market barriers into work using wage-paid, short-term employment that combines real work, skill development and supportive services. Transitional Jobs program participants will earn a paycheck, learn skills, may become eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, and receive intensive mentoring and support. The job can be full-time or part-time.

The Transitional Jobs program in Region VI will have at a minimum, the following 3 components:

Paid work experience reimbursed to the employer at a rate of 100% for a maximum of 480 hours.

Classroom training provided at the rate of 8 hours for every 32 hours of actual work performed. (The 8 hours will be in addition to the maximum of 480 hours of paid work experience and can be paid or unpaid time.) Classroom training experience is defined as soft skills, occupational skills, financial literacy, etc.-including referrals to Adult Education and SPOKES as appropriate.
Supportive services necessary to enable an individual to participate in Transitional Job training services as determined appropriate through assessment of the needs of each individual.

If the employer chooses to retain the participant after completion of the Transitional Job Training, an OJT contract may be developed if the position meets the guidelines governing OJT in Region VI.

RAPID RESPONSE

As an employer, at some point you may have to deal with layoffs of employees due to the occurrence of a natural disaster or an economic crisis, which may result in the downsizing, or temporary or permanent closure of your business. At that point, you and your employees are not alone as there are services available to assist your employees, who are now dislocated workers, in transitioning to new employment as quickly as possible. This array of services is called Rapid Response.

How can an employer receive Rapid Response Services? Employers must inform the state through a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act of layoffs of 50 or more employees. Once this occurs, a State Rapid Response Team leader will contact the employer to inform the employer of the services available and to arrange how the services can be provided to the affected employees.

If a layoff is for less than 50 employees, the employer can contact the Region VI Workforce Development Board at 304-368-9530 to report the layoff and to request the local Rapid Response Team leader to start the process of arranging for the provision of services to the affected employees.

Rapid Response services are provided to employees of affected companies through informational meetings where those affected by a layoff (i.e.- employers, employees, and spouses of employees) can learn about:

Unemployment compensation;

Assistance with job search;

Assistance with updating or developing a resume;

Training opportunities and how to pay for them for those who are thinking of a career change or who need to upgrade their skills;

Health Insurance information;

Peer support strategies; and

Other services as determined needed by the Rapid Response team for your company's particular circumstances.

Rapid Response services are provided free of charge to the employer and employees. For more information on Rapid Response, please contact the Region VI WDB at 304-368-9530.

LINKS

FREE Federal Bonding for WV Employers workforce.org/federal bonding program

United States Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov

WorkForce West Virginia http://www.workforcewv.org

Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program https://westvirginia.gov/incentives-and-programs/workforce-programs/

Work Opportunity Tax Credit https://workforcewv.org/employers/step-3-explore-tax-credits

West Virginia Small Business Development Center http://www.wvsbdc.com

WV Department of Commerce http://www.wvcommerce.org

West Virginia Economic Development Authority http://www.wveda.org

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS

Barbour County Development Authority 304-457-1225

Braxton County Development Authority http://www.braxtoncountywv.org