Adult Education Innovation Grants
A major priority of the Governor’s Workforce Board is to raise the skill level of the existing workforce in Rhode Island. One of the most pressing training needs is improved language skills and work readiness skills. Working closely with the state’s Director of Adult Education, the board has provided $4.5 million in 2008 alone to support the multi-year Adult Education Innovation Grants. Additional partners, including the Lifespan, the RI Board of Governors for Higher Education; Rhode Island College; the RI Department of Administration, Office of Library and Information Services; the RI Department of Children, Youth and Families, the RI Department of Corrections; the RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; the RI Department of Health;the RI Department of Human Services; the RI Department of Labor and Training; the RI Foundation; the RI General Assembly; the RI Office of the Governor; and the United Way of RI, helped bring the total amount of awarded to adult education service providers for 2008 to more than $9 million. Adult Education Innovation Grant winners include:

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Incumbent Worker Training Grants
The Governor’s Workforce Board RI recently awarded $1.3 million in Incumbent Worker Training Grants to 83 Rhode Island companies. The matching grants, which range in size from $2,175 to $40,000, will help more than 3,799 Rhode Island-based employees improve their existing skill sets. Financing for these grants comes from the state's Job Development Fund.

Some examples of funded proposals in the latest grant round are:

• sewing cross training at Murdock Webbing Company, Inc,
• security clearance training for Electro Standards Laboratories, and
• leadership / management training for Mearhtane Products Corporation.
  

The Governor’s Workforce Board supports strategies that improve the existing skill base of the Rhode Island workforce and that anticipate the future needs of growing and emerging businesses. Since its inception in 2005, the Governor’s Workforce Board has awarded $12.7 million in matching worker training grants that have improved the skills of more than 23,799 Rhode Island-based workers.

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Rhode Island Economic Development: Export Management Training Grant Program
Each year, new and expanding Rhode Island businesses benefits from the Export Management Training Grant Program. Through this program, eligible Rhode Island companies may obtain up to $5,000 in matching funds to address their international training needs. The Export Management Training Grant is supported by the Governor’s Workforce Board. The export grant is to assist Rhode Island companies to expand into profitable International markets. The International Trade Office of the RIEDC has developed a comprehensive array of export assistance programs. These include export training programs to help Rhode Island companies learn how to integrate the export process into their businesses, train their employees and penetrate international markets. In fiscal 2012 and 2011, Rhode Island grant recipients rated the RIEDC 9.7 out of 10 in a satisfaction index survey (with 10 as the highest score) and they projected $10,474,000 in export sales that may occur from training in the next 12-18 month period. The RIEDC measures actual results annually and reports these numbers to the GWB. Since the program’s inception in 1996, the RIEDC has granted $530,088 in Export Management Training Grant funds to a total of 378 Rhode Island businesses. A total of 1209 employees have been trained. A total return of investment of $151 in revenue to every $1 dollar spent has been measured. A sample of the grant recipients include:

Alex & Ani
Aidance Skincare
At Wall
Banneker Industries
Biomedical Structures
Electro Standards Laboratories
Jeweler’s Board of Trade
Pilgrim screw
Spectrum Coatings

For more information visit: http://riedc.com/business-services/international-trade-and-exporting/customized-export-training

Youth Strategy Grants This spring, the Governor’s Workforce Board collaborated with the two local workforce boards—Workforce Solutions of Providence/Cranston and the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island—to allocate $2 million in funding for a new flexible model of youth career services delivery. The new model emphasizes collaboration rather than competition among partners; it also allows each service provider to focus on its area of expertise rather than attempt to fulfill all aspects of workforce development. These funds have been leveraged with an additional $3 million in federal funding to create a youth workforce system for Rhode Island that is considered a “best practice” for other states. 2007 Youth Strategy Grant recipients include:

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