If your company is expanding its workforce, you may be eligible for job training dollars to defray the costs. The State of Iowa, through Southeastern Community College (SCC), offers two programs outlined below.

The Industrial New Jobs Training Program provides businesses which are expanding their Iowa workforce with new employee training. This program is financed through bonds sold by SCC.

Depending on wages paid, the business then diverts either 1.5% or 3% of the Iowa state withholding taxes generated by the new positions to SCC to retire the bonds.

In addition to increasing worker productivity and company profitability, businesses participating in the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program may also be eligible for reimbursement up to 50 percent of the annual gross payroll costs expended for on-the-job training, as well as a corporate tax credit if Iowa employment is increased by at least 10 percent.

The Iowa Jobs Training Program provides job training services to current employees of eligible businesses that are located in Iowa. Eligible businesses can work with SCC, which will assess training needs, determine funds availability and provide training. For participating businesses, the advantages include valuable employee training at a reduced - or no - cost.

Business Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be located in, or relocating to Iowa.
• Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, warehousing, wholesaling, or conducting research and development.
• Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.
• Cannot have closed or substantially reduced its employment base at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the state. (260E)
• Within the 36-month period prior to the date of applying for program services, a business cannot have closed or reduced its employment base by more than 20 percent at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the state. (260F)