New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 12 - LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 23 - WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
Subchapter 2 - CUSTOMIZED TRAINING SERVICES; PURPOSE, ELIGIBILITY AND SCOPE
Section 12:23-2.4 - Conditions and standards of eligibility for customized training assistance

(a) All occupational training provided shall be training which is likely to enhance substantially the individual's marketable skills and earning power, and shall be training for a labor demand occupation, except for customized training provided to the present employees of a business which the Commissioner deems to be in need of the training to prevent job loss caused by obsolete skills, technological change, or national or global competition, or customized training provided to employees at a facility which is being relocated into New Jersey.

(b) Funds available under the program shall not be used for activities that induce, encourage, or assist any displacement of currently employed workers by trainees, including partial displacement by means such as reduced hours of currently employed workers, or replacement of laid off workers by trainees, or any relocation of operations outside of the State, resulting in a loss of employment at previous workplaces located in the State.

(c) No activities funded by the program shall impair existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements, except that activities which would be inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement may be undertaken with the written concurrence of the collective bargaining unit and employer who are parties to the agreement.

(d) Each employer that receives customized training services shall contribute a minimum of 40 percent of the total cost of the customized training services, except that the Commissioner shall set a higher or lower minimum contribution by an applicant, if warranted by the size and economic resources of the applicant or other factors deemed appropriate by the Commissioner. Examples of contributions to the costs of services include items such as a portion of trainee wages, training material, direct funds and training personnel. Non-employer applicants may be required to contribute to the cost of customized training services at an amount determined by the Commissioner and/or otherwise demonstrate a commitment to training programs through identification of prior programs, staffing or other measures as determined by the Commissioner. However, applications of non-employers would not be rejected on the basis of an inability to make contributions.

(e) Each employer receiving customized training services shall hire or retain in permanent employment for a period of not less than six months each worker who successfully completes the training and education provided through the customized training program. Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in the employer's having to refund grant dollars allocated to train these workers. The employer shall be entitled to select those workers who will participate in the customized training, except that if any collective bargaining unit represents an employed worker, the selection shall be conducted in a manner acceptable to both the employer and the collective bargaining unit. The Commissioner shall withhold a minimum of 10 percent of the Award as final payment for customized training services contingent upon the hiring and retention of the workers completing the training program. The final payment amount will be stipulated in the contract for customized training services executed between the approved applicant for customized training services and the Department.

(f) The Department requires that if the company receiving financial assistance for customized training services relocates out of State within three years following the ending date of the customized training contract, the company must return all monies provided to the company by the State for customized training services.

(g) Any employer seeking customized training services for workers represented by a collective bargaining unit shall notify the collective bargaining unit and permit it to participate in developing the plan. No customized training services shall be provided to a business employing workers represented by a collective bargaining unit without the written consent of both the business and the collective bargaining unit.

(h) Any employer receiving customized training services shall be responsible for providing workers' compensation coverage for any worker participating in the customized training.