The value of incumbent worker training is being recognized by high profile policymakers and business and labor leaders. President Obama referenced the importance of incumbent worker training in his April 25, 2015 address on the proposed US trade deal. Furthermore, a published report by the New England Council and Deloitte highlights the value of incumbent worker training in keeping the manufacturing industry alive in New England. As the economy improves and businesses shift from survival mode to a renewed focus on growth strategies, it’s important to recognize the necessity of investing in the skills of their workforce.
Massachusetts businesses and workers are fortunate to have a unique, dedicated resource available for investment in training. The Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Program (the WTFP), provides cash grants to employers to support skills upgrading training programs for their employees. This year more than $20 million in WTFP grants will be awarded to Massachusetts businesses of all sizes to train more than 12,000 workers. While the WTFP puts a priority on upgrading the skills of front line staff, it can also support training for mid-level managers or members of the executive team. The beauty of the WTFP is that as long as they’re on the payroll, they’re eligible to be trained through the WTFP.
Massachusetts businesses are consistently leveraging the Fund to upskill their workforce in order to increase productivity, performance and customer satisfaction. Commodore Builders of Newton, recently named by the Boston Business Journal as one of the best places to work in Massachusetts, leveraged a Workforce Training Fund grant to provide negotiation skills training to front-facing customer service and on-site construction staff. As a result of the training, Commodore was able to improve profitability by 15%, reduce project time by 43% and create 54 new jobs due to increased business.
Kayem Foods, a nationally recognized food distributor known for their ‘Fenway Frank’ leveraged a Workforce Training Fund grant to provide English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and supervisory skills training to front-line production workers. Communication improvements directly resulting from the training ultimately led to promotional opportunities for production workers, a dramatic increase in employee retention and better quality control, which resulted in an 8% increase in customer satisfaction and access to new markets.
Investing in your workforce is the smartest way to invest in your business. In addition to improving morale and providing more opportunities for your workers, training builds skills that lead to increased efficiency, productivity and profits. Just ask Kayem and Commodore.
The Workforce Training Fund is a program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and is administered by Commonwealth Corporation.
Respostas de 2
Olá, sou o Coordenador de Assistência Técnica e Extensão da Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV). Somos uma organização sem fins lucrativos com sede em Great Barrington que trabalha para expandir a economia alimentar local no oeste de MA. Trabalho muito com agricultores, açougueiros e frigoríficos. Acho que a mão de obra consistente é um grande gargalo para nossos processadores de carne mais do que qualquer outra empresa com a qual trabalho, e está realmente criando um gargalo maior para a maior cadeia local de fornecimento de carne.
Parece que este programa pode fazer maravilhas para alguns dos processadores de carne de Massachusetts: “O Programa de Fundo de Treinamento da Força de Trabalho de Massachusetts (o WTFP) fornece subsídios em dinheiro aos empregadores para apoiar programas de treinamento de aprimoramento de habilidades para seus funcionários. Este ano, mais de $20 milhões em subsídios WTFP serão concedidos a empresas de Massachusetts de todos os tamanhos para treinar mais de 12.000 trabalhadores. ”
Eles seriam elegíveis para esses subsídios? Como posso ajudá-los a se inscrever?
Fico feliz em marcar uma ligação com alguns de meus colegas e potencialmente alguns processadores de carne, se isso for útil. Também sinta-se à vontade para me ligar no (914) 860-5561
melhor,
Dan Carr
Olá Dan, obrigado por entrar em contato! Por favor, envie um e-mail para [email protected] e ela será capaz de responder a quaisquer perguntas que você possa ter!