Sector Partnership Initiative (SPI)

A new, industry-driven statewide initiative to help businesses in targeted industries address their workforce needs, while also helping workers prepare for and advance in careers in these critical sectors. The initiative focuses on five industries:construction,  information technology, health care, hospitality, and manufacturing. SPI can mainly provide resources to us to launch branding campaigns and share our message about the career pathways available in our industry. NHLRA is the sector advisor for the Hospitality and Tourism sector and will use this platform as part of our broader efforts stated above.
The New Hampshire Hospitality Sector Partnership- Asset Map and Recommendations
Contact: Amie Pariseau, education and workforce development director of the NHLRA and SPI sector advisor, at apariseau@nhlra.com

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Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is an arrangement that includes a paid-work component and an educational or instructional component, wherein an individual obtains workplace-relevant knowledge and skills. Registered apprenticeship training is distinguished from other types of workplace training by several factors: (1) participants who are newly hired (or already employed) earn wages from employers during training; (2) programs must meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor (or federally-recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies); (3) programs provide on-the-job learning and job-related technical instruction; (4) on-the-job learning is conducted in the work setting under the direction of one or more of the employer’s personnel; and (5) training results in an industry-recognized credential. Apprenticeships can take anywhere from one year to six years to complete. Apprenticeship programs require a minimum of 144 hours of classroom learning and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. There is WIOA funding available to support Apprenticeships. The Community College System of New Hampshire can assist employers with customized training for potential and existing employees. For more information on apprenticeship program guidelines, visit https://www.doleta.gov/oa/employers/apprenticeship_toolkit.pdf.
Contact: Lauren Smith, state director of the Office of Apprenticeship, at Smith.Lauren.M@dol.gov

Federal Bonding Program

The Federal Bonding Program assists both the employer and the job seeker when the qualified job seeker's past creates a barrier to obtaining commercial bonding to gain full-time employment. Any at-risk job applicant is eligible for bonding services, including ex-offenders, recovering substance abusers (alcohol or drugs), welfare recipients, and other persons having poor financial credit, economically disadvantaged youth and adults who lack a work history, individuals dishonorably discharged from the military, and others. The program covers any type of stealing- theft, forgery, larceny, and embezzlement. It doesn't cover "liability" due to poor workmanship, job injuries, work accidents, etc. The job must offer full time work, adequate working conditions and wages, reasonable expectation of permanence, and excludes both self-employment and employment as a franchise representative.
Contact: Joshua Kelly, NHES federal bonding coordinator, at joshua.e.kelly@nhes.nh.gov

New Hampshire Job Training Fund

The Job Training Fund is designed to help you improve your workforce and grow your business. The fund is available to businesses located in New Hampshire and businesses intending to locate in the State who pay quarterly taxes into the NH Unemployment Trust Fund. Businesses that make voluntary (reimbursable) contributions are not eligible. Local, county, and state political subdivisions are not eligible for the program. The Job Training Fund matches your employer training expenditures on a 1:1 basis. A minimum 1:1 cash match is required. Ineligible matching funds include salaries, wages bonuses, and benefits of employees in training such as in-kind contributions, administrative or entertainment expenses, and costs resulting from violations of, or failure to comply with federal, state or local laws, and regulations. The minimum grant allowed is $750. The maximum grant that can be requested is $100,000. You will work with local community colleges or private training vendors to obtain instruction needed for your employees. Structured on-site laboratory or classroom training for basic skills, technical skills, quality improvement, safety, management and supervision, and English as a second language. The NHLRA can assist with making these connections.
Contact: Michael Power at Michael.Power@dred.nh.gov

NH Works

Employment services include job listings, upcoming job fairs, free job-seeker resource materials, unemployment compensation, Trade Adjustment Assistance, veterans services, economic and labor market information, and many other services. Employers may access free employer services.
Contact: The Office of Workforce Opportunity at 603-271-7275

Return to Work

Through Return to Work, participating employers get to try out a potential future employee at no cost to them. The Program enables individuals collecting unemployment compensation to be trained by an employer to work a maximum of 24 hours per week for up to six weeks.
Contact: Pam Szacik, director of Division of Employment Services at NH Employment Security, at pamela.r.szacik@nhes.nh.gov

Vocational Rehabilitation

The mission of New Hampshire Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation is to assist eligible New Hampshire citizens with disabilities secure suitable employment and financial and personal independence by providing rehabilitation services.
Contact: Terri Tedeschi, business relations consultant, at Terri.Tedeschi@doe.nh.gov

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
On the Job Training (OJT)

WOIA is an employment and training program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor to help dislocated workers and other eligible adults access the tools they need to manage their careers through information and high quality services and to help U.S. companies find skilled workers. In addition to access to funding, the WIOA has access to those who are currently unemployed, underemployed, and use English as a second language. The On the Job Training (OJT) Program reimburses employers to offset some of the costs associated with supervising and training New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) participants as newly hired full-time employees in their company workforce. The OJT program is especially useful to employers expanding their business and who need workers trained in specific job skills. The employer receives a wage reimbursement up to 50% ($3,500 maximum) during the new employee's contracted OJT training period (maximum 6 months). As an even greater incentive, participating employers can benefit from a tax credit for up to $10,200 over 2 years through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for each NHEP participant who completes and remains employed the end of their OJT training.
Contact: Tracey Johnson, WIOA statewide program manager, at Tjackson@snhs.org

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