Providence, RI - The Governor's Workforce Board (GWB) Rhode Island will allocate $1.5 million in Incumbent Worker Training grants to improve the skills of 4,775 employees at 68 Rhode Island-based companies.
January's Request for Proposals had allocated $700,000 in grant funding to be awarded this April, but overwhelming interest in the program prompted the Board to approve an additional $800,000, which will be available July 1st. Governor Lincoln D. Chafee said, "The robust response in requests for matching training dollars is proof that RI employers are increasing their investment in training."
Incumbent Worker Training grants are competitive grants that offer matching funds to businesses to upgrade the skills of their employees. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $40,000. The funds are available to all Rhode Island for-profit and not-for-profit businesses that contribute to the Job Development Fund.
Twenty-five of the 68 grant recipients had not previously received GWB funding for Incumbent Worker Training. GWB Chair Constance A. Howes noted, "The number of first-time grant applicants in this round shows that more employers are learning what the GWB can do to help build their business."
The GWB also offers "Express Grants" of up to $5,000 in matching funds to assist companies to build a highly-skilled, high-performing workforce on a rolling basis throughout the year, in addition to the annual Incumbent Worker Training grant program.
BY THE NUMBERS:
Central Falls * Whittet-Higgins Company received $5,820 to train eight employees.
Coventry * Concordia Manufacturing, LLC received $9,600 to train 14 employees.** * Rhodes Pharmaceuticals received $19,900 to train 25 employees.
Cranston * Electro Standards Laboratories received $31,442 to train 60 employees. * Taco, Inc. received $40,000 to train 35 employees. * Fielding Manufacturing received $11,625 to train 18 employees. * Barrington Print and Copy received $15,600 to train 22 employees.** * Yushin America, Inc. received $24,853 to train 20 employees. * Pezzuco Construction, Inc. received $9,891 to train 14 employees.** * Bottling Group, LLC received $40,000 to train 100 employees. * Rolling Frito-Lay Sales received $40,000 to train 100 employees. * Federal Electronics received $20,883 to train 31 employees.**
Cumberland * Swissline Precision Manufacturing received $18,422 to train 25 employees. * Hope Global received $32,398 to train 58 employees.** * Herrick & White LTD received $17,325 to train 95 employees. * The Children's Workshop, Inc. received $9,750 to train 204 employees.
East Providence * Interplex Engineered Products received $39,724 to train 185 employees.
Exeter * Carjon Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc. received $5,875 to train six employees.** * Carousel Industries of North America, Inc. received $39,942 to train 110 employees.**
Hope Valley * Wood River Health Care Services received $15,964 to train 50 employees.**
Lincoln * Twin River Casino received $25,163 to train 1,600 employees.** * Calise & Sons Bakery, Inc. received $12,240 to train 40 employees. * Materion Technical Materials received $15,608 to train 155 employees.
Middletown * Child and Family Services of Newport received $23,800 to train 164 employees. * Rite-Solutions, Inc. received $39,028 to train 31 employees. * American Systems Corporation received $5,938 to train five employees.** * SEA CORP received $40,000 to train 44 employees.
Narragansett * The Town Dock received $15,375 to train 26 employees.
North Kingstown * Home Instead Senior Care of RI received $7,192 to train 16 employees. * Dominion Diagnostics, LLC received $9,772 to train three employees.** * General Dynamics: Electric Boat received $40,562 to train 112 employees. * Bridge Technical Talent received $19,906 to train 30 employees. * Toray Plastics (America), Inc. received $39,952 to train 52 employees.
North Smithfield * Banneker Industries Inc. received $30,283 to train 115 employees.** * National Marker Company received $33,245 to train 64 employees.
Pawtucket * Narragansett Bay Insurance Company received $39,648 to train 75 employees.** * Child Care Consultants and Facilities Management received $7,856 to train 189 employees. * Tunstall received $32,000 to train 50 employees. This is the first Incumbent Worker grant awarded to Tunstall. * Global View Communications received $5,167 to train four employees.**
Portsmouth * Hodges Badge Company received $19,959 to train 43 employees.
Providence * Admiral Packaging, Inc. received $12,200 to train 86 employees. * LOPCO Contracting, Inc. received $12,800 to train 25 employees.** * Stephen Turner, Inc. received $16,155 in matching funds to train 11 employees. * Center for Women and Enterprise received $10,000 to train six employees. * Amos House received $12,246 to train 25 employees. * Medport, LLC received $39,125 to train 35 employees.** * PACE Organization of Rhode Island received $28,800 to train 46 employees.** * Decor Craft, Inc. received $26,938 in matching funds to train 27 employees.** * Ximedica received $39,991 to train 70 employees. * Edesia received $12,445 to train four employees. * Dimeo Construction Company received $40,000 to train 62 employees. * TribalVision, LLC received $7,900 to train 22 employees.**
Smithfield * TechComm Partners, Inc. received $16,602 to train eight employees.** * RI Carbide Tool Company received $7,800 to train two employees.** * Precision Turned Components received $23,100 to train 30 employees.
Warren * American Ecotech, LLC received $14,599 to train five employees.
Warwick * AMS Imaging, LLC received $25,237 to train 11 employees. * Lumetta received $9,600 to train 26 employees. * DiSanto, Priest & Company received $16,540 to train 46 employees. * VR Inustries received $22,750 to train 11 employees. * NetCenergy, LLC received $33,397 to train 14 employees.**
West Kingston * Liberty Cedar, Inc. received $7,469 to train 22 employees.**
West Warwick * Guill Tool and Engineering Company received $25,679 to train 38 employees.
Westerly * Maxson Automatic Machinery Company received $10,800 to train 27 employees.
Woonsocket * Bouckaert Industrial Textiles received $33,202 to train 34 employees. * Flock Tex, Inc. received $27,025 to train 32 employees.** * Technic, Inc. received $39,803 to train 32 employees. * Aidance Skincare and Topical Solutions received $20,000 to train 22 employees.
** First-time Incumbent Worker grant recipient.