Employers in the Iowa Quad Cities area can receive up to $10,000 for employee training through a new grant program.
The Retrain and Retain Grant is being offered to employers in Scott, Jackson, Clinton, Muscatine, Henry, Louisa and Des Moines counties. The Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board (MVWDB) currently is accepting applications for the grants.
To qualify, employers must have been located in those counties for at least 12 months. Other requirements include retaining a skilled workforce or averting the need to lay off employees by assisting the workers in obtaining the skills necessary to retain employment.
“Grants provide both workers and employers with the opportunity to build and maintain a quality workforce,” said Miranda Swafford, MVWDB’s executive director. “The Mississippi Valley R&R Grant Program is a business-driven program designed to meet the needs of an employer or group of employers.”
The awarded grant stipulates that the employee will be promoted or retained by the company after they receive training. Ideally, this would also create additional back-fill opportunities for other workers, a news release said.
The training is tailored to fit the employers’ needs and can be industry or employer specific. Training options could include, but are not limited to, basic work skills, technical and computer training, new equipment and manufacturing technologies. Also available, is a review of product innovations and best practices in leadership, teamwork, communication, conflict resolution and management.
The Mississippi Valley Workforce Development Board is a non-profit organization overseeing the workforce services in eight Iowa counties. Customers include job seekers and employers who access services provided by a network of partners through IowaWORKS Centers located in Davenport and Burlington and other affiliate sites.
For more information on the Retrain & Retain Grant, visit www.mississippivalleyworkforce.org/grants or contact Andrea Taylor at associate@mississippivalleyworkforce.org or (844) 967-5365, Ext.2
