Training can seem expensive, but staff turnover costs much more at 1 to 1.5 times the employee’s salary.

Did you know you could get reimbursed for training expenses?  Drawing on Employment Training Panel (ETP) funds, your company might be able to get reimbursed for training expenses.

Some features and qualifications of the program include:

• You design the training program, pick the topic and the trainer. It can be in-house training, or an outside training program.
• An employer is eligible to participate in an ETP funded project if it is subject to the California State Unemployment Insurance (UI) fund contribution.
• Employees must be full-time, permanent employees working at least 35 hours per week.
• Training reimbursement is based on the size of the company and industry sector.  The ETP gives special consideration to small businesses of 100 or less employees in California but no more than 250 employees worldwide.   Priority industries identified in ETP’s strategic plan also receive a higher rate (i.e., manufacturing, nursing and allied healthcare, construction, information technology services, multimedia and entertainment industries).
• The reimbursement rates are between $12 and $21 per hour, per trainee depending on size of company and industry sector.
• All training funded must be “off-the-job”, which means that for every hour of training claimed for funding there is a trainer who is doing nothing but training and a trainee who is being trained and is not doing his or her regular job.  Training must be documented on a roster with the signature of the trainer and trainee and up to 20 trainees to one instructor.  Trainees must complete a minimum 8 hours of training to receive reimbursement and 200 hours maximum.
• Trainees must earn a minimum hourly wage after completion of training.  The minimum wage varies by county.  In this contract the wage range is $11.70 to $28.37.  The dollar value of employer-paid health benefits (medical, dental, vision) may be used to meet the required wage. The required wage is $15.60 for Humboldt County, during the 90 day retention period.
• Trainees must be retained on the job for a minimum of 90 days after completion of training.

Michael Kraft can help you get started. Just contact him at kraft@sequoiapersonnel.com or 707-445-9641.