Well-educated and highly-trained employees are critical to compete in today’s increasingly competitive global market. If your company is moving to or expanding in Washtenaw County, you can receive financial assistance for the customized training of your new employees through the Michigan New Jobs Training Program (MNJTP). This unique program allows businesses to partner with Washtenaw community colleges to develop a training program that produces highly-trained employees that can increase your competitive edge.
WHAT IS IT?
Designed as an economic development tool, the Michigan New Jobs Training Program allows community colleges to provide free training for employers who are creating new jobs and/or expanding operations locally. The training for the newly hired workers is paid by capturing the state income tax associated with the new employees’ wages. This is a local program — individual community colleges work directly with employers and local economic development to support job creation. There are no restrictions by industry or employer size.
HOW THE MICHIGAN NEW JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM WORKS?
If a business is locating a facility or expanding operations locally, the Michigan New Jobs Training Program can provide flexible funding to meet a variety of training and employee development needs for those new positions. Funds to cover the training costs are obtained through a diversion of withholding taxes generated by the wages earned by the new employees to the community college providing the training. In other words, the training of new employees is essentially paid by dollars that would otherwise have been paid to the state for withholding taxes — no new additional dollars are expended to cover the costs of training. Businesses can gain a competitive edge through virtually cost-free training of their new employees.
WHAT CAN THE FUNDS COVER?
The funds diverted through an MNJTP agreement can be used for any direct training expense, including:
- Development of customized training courses and materials
- Customized training courses (including tuition and books, at public or private training organizations)
- Online courses and skill assessment
- Testing and certification services
- Training facilities, equipment, materials, and supplies
- Reimbursement of travel expenses for trainers or trainees
- Administrative expenses for training programs
- Adult basic, developmental, readiness, and remedial education
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY COMPANY IS ELIGIBLE?
If you can answer yes to the following statements, your company should contact Washtenaw Community College Workforce and Community Development for information on applying:
- You will be hiring new full-time, permanent positions for a new or expanding business located in the state of Michigan.
- The new positions are not related to recalling laid off or replacement workers.
- The new positions are ones that did not exist within the previous 12 months at your business.
- The new positions pay at least 175% of the state minimum wage.
HOW TO GET STARTED?
If your new positions fit these criteria, contact Washtenaw’s Workforce and Community Development Department to learn more about how we can help your company scale. For more information email workforcedevelopment@wccnet.edu or call 734-677-5393.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
Visit Michigan Community College Association (mcca.org) for more information.
