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.
2 Responses
您好,我是伯克希尔农业风险投资公司 (BAV) 的技术援助和外展协调员。我们是一家位于大巴灵顿的非营利组织,致力于扩大马萨诸塞州西部的当地食品经济。我经常与农民、屠夫和肉类加工商一起工作。我发现,与我合作的任何其他企业相比,一致的劳动力对我们的肉类加工商来说是一个主要瓶颈,而且它确实给更大的本地肉类供应链造成了更大的瓶颈。
该计划似乎可以为马萨诸塞州的一些肉类加工商创造奇迹:“马萨诸塞州劳动力培训基金计划 (WTFP) 向雇主提供现金补助,以支持其员工的技能提升培训计划。今年将向马萨诸塞州各种规模的企业提供超过 $2000 万美元的 WTFP 赠款,用于培训 12,000 多名工人。 ”
他们有资格获得这些赠款吗?我如何帮助他们申请?
如果有帮助的话,我很高兴与我的一些同事以及可能的一些肉类加工商进行通话。也请随时致电 (914) 860-5561
最好的,
丹·卡尔
嗨,丹,感谢您与我们联系!请发送电子邮件至 [email protected] 她将能够回答您的任何问题!