Grant Details

The Job Skills Program (JSP) provides funding for customized, short-term and job-specific training for eligible businesses using dollar-for-dollar matching grants. Grants are awarded to educational institutions in Washington that partner with employers to undertake a JSP project. The participating employer must match the grant amount with cash or in-kind program support.

Job Skills Program projects must meet one or more of the following:

• Provides short-term training which has been designated for specific industries;
• Provides training for prospective employees before a new operation opens or when existing industry expands;
• Includes training or retraining for workers already employed to avoid dislocation, or where upgrading of existing employees would create new vacancies for unemployed persons;
• Serve an area with high concentrations of economically disadvantaged persons and high unemployment;
• Promotes the growth of industry clusters;
• Serves an area where there is a shortage of skilled labor to meet job demands;
• Promotes the location of new industry in areas affected by economic dislocation.

JSP supports three types of training projects, each a tool to enhance the competitiveness of Washington's businesses and industries and increasing employment opportunities.

New Employee Training - Projects provide training for prospective employees before a new plant opens or when an existing company or industry expands. Applicants for training will be drawn from the general population. JSP is particularly interested in providing training and employment opportunities for individuals who are unemployed, victims of plant closures or layoffs, or public assistance recipients. In addition, the JSP applicants should develop goals and demonstrate plans to provide training and employment opportunities to individuals who are under-represented in the labor force—women, people of color, the older worker, and individuals with disabilities.

Retraining - Projects draw trainees from the company's current employees. The company has determined that retraining is required in order to prevent the dislocation of those individuals selected for retraining and that the training will make the company more competitive within the industry.

Upgrade Training - Projects draw trainees from the company's current workforce. The company must assure the training is available to all levels of the company as appropriate for the topic and that successful completers will be eligible for promotion or pay increases in accordance with company policies and bargaining agreements.

Priority for funding may be given to applications:

• Proposing training that provides college credit or leads to a recognized industry credential;
• From firms in strategic industry clusters as identified by the state or local area;
• Proposing coordination with other cluster-based programs or initiatives including but not limited to, industry skill panels, centers of excellence, innovation partnership zones, state-supported cluster growth grants, and local cluster-based economic development initiatives;
• From consortia of colleges or consortia of employers;
• Proposing increased capacity for education institutions that can be made available to industry and students beyond the grant recipients.
• Providing a cash contribution to the project budget.