WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Quick Links

|  Business and Industry Training Program  |  Existing Workforce Training Program  |

|  Workforce Training Consortia  |  Workforce Investment Act  | CDC Resource Guides Home  |  CDCOnline Home  |

Business and Industry Training Program

The Business and Industry Training Program (BITP) offered is a flexible program designed for new and expanding business and industry.  BITP helps these companies with recruiting workers, pre-employment training, on-the-job training, and train-the-trainer. The program also provides training assistance for existing businesses with new technology needs.  Eligible Businesses include:

The Business & Training Program has three emphases: recruiting workers, pre-employment training and on-the-job training.

Recruiting Workers

The BITP provides financial assistance to recruit workforces required for new and expanding businesses and industries in Arkansas. Workers are usually recruited through newspaper ads, but other forms of recruitment may be used. The company-specific recruitment can include working with the Department of Workforce Services office, locating a site to receive applications and providing temporary help for receiving applications.

Pre-employment Training

The Business & Industry Training Program project managers work with AEDC's Business Development team when negotiating with new and expanding companies. The project manager then works closely with the company throughout the training project, meeting with the local educational institution and the company coordinator to find the best trainers for the company's needs.  If the company chooses to use its own out-of-state trainers for the pre-employment training, AEDC provides financial assistance for travel and lodging.  Trainees are required to sign an affidavit that relieves the company and AEDC of any obligations to the trainee.

On-the-Job Training

Following pre-employment training, if the trainee is hired by the company, AEDC helps pay the instructional costs to train the new employee. Hours of instruction and the number of instructors depend on the types of jobs that require on-the-job training. Financial assistance is not allowed for salary of trainees or new hires.  Business and Industry Training Program

( Back to Top )

Existing Workforce Training Program

The Existing Workforce Training Program (EWTP) provides financial assistance to Arkansas's businesses and eligible consortia of businesses for upgrading the skills of the existing workforce.  Skills upgrade training is instruction conducted in a classroom environment at a work site, an educational institution or a neutral location, that provides an existing, full-time employee permanent employees who work at least 30 hours a week and is subject to Arkansas’s personal income tax with the new skills necessary to enhance productivity, improve performance and/or retain employment.  Eligible businesses include:

The following companies must derive at least 75 percent of sales revenue from out of state:

The maximum funding for any one company site cannot exceed $50,000 per calendar year.  To be considered for EWTP financial assistance, a company must submit an application 10 business days before training begins, provide assurance that the participants involved in the proposed training program possess the requisite literacy skills, and clearly tie the proposed training to specific business goals and performance objectives.  Existing Workforce Training Program

( Back to Top )

Workforce Training Consortia

Arkansas offers valuable opportunities for workforce training programs. Along with the Existing Workforce Training Program and the Business and Industry Training Program offered through the Economic Development Commission, Arkansas is also home to a network of workforce training consortia.  A training consortium is a community-based, formal organization of businesses and industries that identifies common training needs in the area and arranges classes that are customized to meet their specific requirements. Currently, there are 12 existing consortia operating throughout the state, as well as two consortia in development.  These employer-driven consortia allow each individual community to tailor its training programs around local industry needs. Cooperative efforts between industry and educators result in classes on a variety of topics, such as computer skills, professional development, mechanical skills, welding and electrical skills.  Workforce Training Consortia

Workforce Investment Act

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a federally funded program administered by the Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District.  The  program is designed to create an employment and training system dedicated to improving the quality of employment services provided to employers and citizens of Southwest Arkansas. For employers, this program provides a variety of services, including:

Contact: Southwest Arkansas Planning and Development District, (870) 234-4030, www.swapdd.com/pages/index.php