Governor’s Workforce Board awards $1.5 million in Matching Training Funds
More than 3,500 workers in Rhode Island will receive on-the-job training in the coming months, thanks to 77 comprehensive worker training matching grants recently awarded by the Governor’s Workforce Board RI. Because these grants require matching contributions from participating employers, the $1.59 million total grant awards represent a nearly $3.2 million investment in Rhode Island’s workforce.
“The best defense against an economic downturn is a skilled workforce,” says Governor’s Workforce Board Chair Joseph MarcAurele. “Our training grants not only help companies improve their productivity in the short term, but also help Rhode Island improve its talent pool for the future.” MarcAurele is president of Citizen’s Bank, Rhode Island.
The grants range in size from $380 to train two Brookfield Service employees on new towing practices, to $50,000 to enroll 70 Interplex manufacturing workers in a multi-step technical and management training program.
More than 1,000 of the 3,500 workers benefiting from this round of GWB training grants are employed in the manufacturing sector. “With increasing global competition, the state’s manufacturers have to seek out continuous systems improvement to remain profitable,” says MarcAurele. Accordingly, the majority of the 22 manufacturers receiving GWB training grants are planning to train their workers in Lean manufacturing and similar methodologies for streamlining their manufacturing processes.
Still other businesses are using their training grants to grow their future workforce. Electro Standards Laboratories of Cranston has included a summer internship program in its training request, in which it will pair URI engineering students with seasoned engineers to serve as on-the-job mentors.
Not all grant recipients come from the private sector. Included in the grant request for the non-profit International Yacht Restoration School are plans to train instructors in student retention strategies. Another non-profit grant recipient, the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence, will offer 20 separate trainings in issues relating to domestic violence, including “Working with Victims from Immigrant Communities” and “Technology Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence.”
Funding for the Comprehensive Worker Training grants comes from the state’s Job Development Fund, which is financed entirely by RI employers. Only those employers who pay into the fund are eligible to apply for Comprehensive Worker Training Grants. A listing of grant recipients by region follows this press release.
The 17-member 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 creation in September 2005, the Governor’s Workforce Board has made more than $24 million-worth strategic investments in Rhode Island that reward collaboration among the state’s employment, education and economic development entities.
The following businesses, arranged by municipality, have received 2008 Comprehensive Worker Training Grants:
Bristol
- Outer Limits Offshore Power Boats, $30,480
- Safeway Auto Sales, Inc., $560
Central Falls
- King’s Service Center, $3,440
- Wardwell Braiding Machine Co., $30,120
Coventry
- Rhodes Technologies, $23,440
Cranston
- Abacus Management Technologies LLC, $3,970
- Electro Standards Labs, $38,670
- Federal Electronics Inc., $22,500
- Primary Flow Signal, $43,820
Cumberland
- Swissline Precision Manufacturing, $38,400
- Tedor Pharma, Inc., $15,280
East Providence
- Benefits Concepts, $49,990
- Yankee Fiber Control, $5,040
Lincoln
- Gem Mechanical Services Inc., $21,270
- Gem Plumbing and Heating, $49,410
- Light House Computer Services, $42,830
- Northern RI Chamber of Commerce, $1,250
- Technical Materials, $19,960
- The Insco Group, $15,710
Middletown
- BankNewport, $28,750
- Northeast Engineers & Consultant, $48,390
- People’s Credit Union, $26,390
- Rite-Solutions, Inc., $16,030
Newport
- Child & Family Services, $17,150
- International Yacht Restoration School, $3,110
- RI Towing, $750
North Kingstown
- New Territories, $10,000
- Senesco Marine LLC, $41,900
North Scituate
- Knox’s Garage and Towing, Inc., $380
North Smithfield
- Picor Corporation, $5,300
Pawtucket
- Bunge North America (East), $45,000
- Collette Vacations, $49,060
- Colonial Mills, $21,300
- Embolden Design, $3,800
- International Packaging Corp. $29,600
- Neptco Inc., $50,000
- New England Overseas Corp., $10,460
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Peacedale
- Twisted Throttle LLC, $14,030
Portsmouth
- Hodges Badge Co. Inc., $25,000
- J. Taggart Enterprises, $560
- Ocean Link Inc., $8,750
- The Green Grocer, $7,130
Providence
- AAA Southern New England, $15,080
- Advertising Ventures, $6,160
- Ananke, Inc., $34,520
- Beautiful Beginnings Child Care, $2,350
- City Year Rhode Island, $3,810
- Clear Channel Radio, $18,110
- Contech Medical, $10,060
- East Side Service Center, $750
- Envision Technology Advisors LLC, $32,600
- Family Service of RI, $35,410
- Graphic Communications Inc., $5,280
- K&M Associates LP, $35,000
- Leftkowitz, Garfinkel, Champi and DiRienzo, $7,080
- Levine, Inc., $32,700
- Logicomm, $7,130
- Providence Chain Co., $27,900
- RI Community Food Bank, $5,290
- Sansiveri, Kimball & McNamee LLP, $50,000
- Software Quality Association, $23,100
- SQA Global Resources LLC, $33,860
- UHPS Providence, $45,560
Rumford
- Interplex Engineering Products, $50,000
Slatersville
- National Market Company, $35,160
Wakefield
- Falvey Cargo Underwriting, $11,750
Warren
- East Bay Chamber of Commerce, $3,610
- Blount Boats, $29,440
Warwick
- Atrion, $50,000
- Herb’s Towing, $560
- RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence, $6,600
West Kingston
- Modine Manufacturing Co., $5,310
- Meadowbrook Waldorf School, $4,460
West Warwick
- Astro Wrecker, $1,080
- Brookfield Service, Inc., $380
- Guill Tool & Engineering Co., $34,240
Woonsocket
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