Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced on Thursday, the department has awarded $50,000 in Incumbent Worker Training Grants to two companies in Hamilton County. Incumbent Worker Training Grants assist employers with upgrading skills to avoid layoffs of their employees.
“By helping employers throughout the state provide the necessary training and education for their employees, Tennessee companies can remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace,” Governor Bill Haslam said.
“So far this year, we have awarded more than $509,000 in Incumbent Worker Grants to 27 Tennessee businesses benefiting 1055 workers,” Comm.
Phillips said. “Since the program’s inception, Incumbent Worker Grants have assisted 700 businesses by providing nearly $17 million to train approximately 55,000 employees.”
The following criteria must be met to qualify for the Incumbent Worker Training Program. Employers must be in operation in Tennessee for at least one year prior to application date. Employers must have at least five full-time employees, demonstrate financial viability and be current on all state tax obligations. Funding priority is given to businesses whose grant proposals represent a significant layoff avoidance strategy and represent a significant upgrade of skills.
· Miller Industries Towing Equipment, Inc. awarded $25,000 to train 12 workers in Miller U-Level 2-Supervisory Training. This will provide front line managers the ability to deal with the day-to-day employee issues effectively and make the operation more efficient while increasing the global market competitiveness.
· Astec, Inc. stated awarded $25,000 to train 49 workers in Lean Training. This will help to reduce waste while implementing new processes for job instruction, job relations, job methods and job safety.
The Southeast Tennessee Development District played a key role in awarding these grants to Miller Industries Towing Equipment, Inc. and Astec, Inc., officials said.
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development administers the Incumbent Worker Training program. The program has been structured to be flexible to meet the business's training objectives. The business may use public, private, or its own in-house training provider based on the nature of the training.