As you may recall, one of Governor John Kasich’s economic development initiatives involved appropriating the state’s casino revenue to offset employers’ costs to retrain their workers. More than 122,000 Ohio employees have already been trained through the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program and this will only increase as the state is making a fourth round of funding available. This program will make $6.9 million available in Fiscal Year 2016 for employers to enhance the skills of their employees.
As in prior years, the Ohio Development Services Agency will reimburse the employer for up to 50 percent of the eligible training costs, up to $4,000 per employee, after 1) the employer pays the full cost of the training, and 2) the employee successfully completes the training. However for the 2016 program, the maximum amount an employer may qualify for has been reduced to $100,000. The company must be in operation for at least 12 months in Ohio to participate.
The online application will be available beginning September 28, 2015 for taxpayers to start inputting the information on projected training programs for the period beginning January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. Therefore if you are eligible, it is important to gather and prepare all necessary information NOW to be ready to complete the application as soon as it is released. The online applications will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis and can be submitted beginning at 10:00 a.m. on October 14, 2015.
Although the program eligibility requirements for the employer and employee are similar to the three previous programs, the following website provides important information and guidance for your reference and should be updated with the 2016 program information prior to the September 28 launch.
The website includes information related to employer and employee eligibility requirements, the targeted industries and eligible NAICS codes, the registration/application process, eligible training programs, required documentation, and the request for reimbursement specifics. Please note there are a few changes to highlight for the current program:
- As previously mentioned, the program reduced the maximum amount of available funding per employer from $250,000 to $100,000. This is due to the reduction of funds available from $30 million in prior years to $6.9 million for FY 2016.
- Tuition reimbursement is no longer eligible training
- The window of training has been reduced from 17 months to 12 months (January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2016)
