SPARTANBURG – The Upstate Workforce Investment Board has been awarded $113,656 from the SC Department of Employment and Workforce for its On-the-Job Training program. The award is part of a larger $1.3 million National Emergency On-the-Job Training Grant from the Department of Labor as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $113,656 award will be used to create new On-the-Job Training opportunities to enhance the skill level of individuals that have been unemployed for an extended period of time.

The On-the-Job Training program allows for an eligible participant to be trained at a place of business upon hiring. In return, the business receives partial reimbursement of the individual’s wages for a pre-determined time period to offset the extraordinary costs associated in increasing the skill level of the employee. Reimbursements are between 50 and 90 percent and are dependent upon the size of the business and amount of training required to increase the skill level of the participant.

Employers in Spartanburg, Cherokee, or Union counties interested in the On-the-Job Training program should contact Johnnie Lynn Crosby, Career Source Business Services Manager, at (864) 562-4184 or jlcrosby@upstatecareersource.com. Small businesses of less than 50 employees are encouraged to apply. Employers will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Upstate Workforce Investment Board is an equal opportunity employer/program and auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.