Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWTP)

Customized Training

Description

The Incumbent Worker Training Program (IWTP) is a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Labor (LDOL), business and industry, and training providers. The IWTP is designed to benefit business and industry by assisting in the skill development of existing employees and thereby increasing employee productivity and the growth of the company. There improvements are expected to result in the creation of new jobs, the retention of jobs that otherwise may have been eliminated, and an increase in wages for trained workers.

Funding

The program is funding by a portion of Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax contributing dedicated solely for customized training.

Eligibility Criteria

Employers must:

1. Have been in business in the state for at least three years, contributing and in full compliance with state UI tax laws;
2. Cannot receive IWTP Customized Training and IWTP Small Business Employee Training concurrently;
3. Must have at least 15 employees to be trained (employers can form consortiums to meet this requirement); and
4. Request training to either: a.) prevent job loss caused by obsolete skills, technological change, or national or global competition; b.) create, update, or retain jobs in a labor demand occupation; or c.) update or retain jobs in an occupation which is not a labor demand occupation, if the administrator determines that the services are necessary to prevent the likely loss of jobs.

Trainees must be incumbent workers for whom the employer incurs a Louisiana UI tax liability;

Training Providers selected by employers must demonstrate a history of:

1. Successful training through its placement, retention, and satisfaction rates;
2. Collaboration with the target industry in the development of the training program curriculum; and
3. Use of a current industry standard as the basis for programs utilized to train students for employment in the targeted industry.

The Process

1. Employer decides what training is needed and selects a suitable training provider(s)
2. Employer and the training provider jointly develop a customized training plan to meet the needs of the company(s) and complete the IWPT online application at https://iwpt.laworks.net/Launch/LaunchPage.asp?CET=Y
3. Applications are reviewed by the IWTP staff to assure that all IWTP requirements are met. Negotiations are conducted to improve the application and to provide for the most cost-effective training.
4. Applications are submitted to the Secretary of Labor for review and approval.
5. Upon approval of the Secretary of Labor, a contract is developed specifying the goals to be accomplished, the scope of work and the line item budget. The contract is emailed to the employer and training provider for signature.
6. The contract is signed by the Secretary of Labor and then forwarded to the LDOL Contracts Unit. After the contract is encumbered and returned to IWPT Unit it will be mailed to all parties and training can begin.

For more information please contact:

Melissa Pierce - mpierce@safetytrainingconsultants.com