Current through September 21, 2024
(a) Business Entity
Eligibility Requirements
(i) Must be a Wyoming
based business or Wyoming non-profit organization.
(A) All business entities are physically
located and operating in the state of Wyoming and have employees working in
Wyoming;
(B) In business for at
least 365 days or provide a Letter of Support from the local, regional or state
economic development entity;
(C)
Registered and in good standing with the Wyoming Unemployment Insurance
program;
(D) Registered and in good
standing with the Wyoming Workers' Compensation program;
(E) Registered and in good standing with the
Wyoming Secretary of State's office, if required;
(F) In good standing with the Workforce
Development Training Fund (WDTF);
(G) Registered with DWS's management
information system.
(ii)
No governmental entity, as defined in W.S. § 1-39-103(a)(i) and (ii), or
person employed by a governmental entity, is eligible for training grants
except Wyoming county and memorial hospitals as defined in W.S. §
18-8-101(a)(i) and emergency medical services providers.
(b) Training Eligibility. In order for the
training to be approved under this section, the business entity must
demonstrate, to the satisfaction of DWS, the following:
(i) Training will either correct an
employee's skill deficiency or upgrade an employee's current skill
level;
(ii) A direct relationship
between the training and the trainee's occupation or craft;
(iii) There is a need for the skill upgrade
provided by the training for the business entity to remain competitive in the
industry or economy; and
(iv) The
skill upgrade provided by the training will:
(A) Enhance the business entity's
productivity, efficiency or profitability;
(B) Reduce employee turnover; or
(C) Enhance employee wages.
(v) Training fees are
required.
(c) Trainee
Eligibility. In order for a trainee to be eligible to participate in training
under this section, the trainee must be working in Wyoming for the eligible
business entity applying for the training grant under this section at the time
of training.
(d) Grant Funding
Limits. Due to the urgent need for DWS to provide focused reemployment efforts
to address pandemic-related skill loss, the WDTF will provide the following
increased funding limits so long as funding is available. The grant funding
limits per state fiscal year shall be:
(i) A
business entity may receive up to four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) for
training, per trainee.
(ii) A
business entity in specific industries, as dictated by the Wyoming Workforce
Development Council, may receive up to five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), for
training, per trainee.
(iii) A
trainee may only receive up to five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), regardless of
the number of business entities the trainee works for.
(iv) A business entity may only apply for and
receive up to two-hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) regardless of number of
trainees.
(e) Allowable
Training Expenses. The following training expenses shall be allowed:
(i) Direct training costs include, but are
not limited to, tuition, registration, class fees and class materials directly
related to the training;
(ii)
Travel expenses to include transportation directly related to the
training;
(iii) Instructor's fees,
when a participant fee is not charged, and travel expenses where the instructor
is brought in for the training by the business entity and is not an employee of
the business entity; and
(iv) Where
additional monetary contributions are received, the grant would cover the
remaining balance, not to exceed the actual expenditures.
(f) Non-allowable Training Expenses. The
following training expenses shall not be allowed:
(i) Trainee's wages and fringe
benefits;
(ii) The business
entity's administration expenses which include, but are not limited to,
bookkeeping, reporting and record keeping;
(iii) The business entity's cost of preparing
a Business Training Grant application;
(iv) Purchased, rented or leased equipment
including computer hardware and/or software;
(v) Instructor's fees and travel expenses
where the instructor is an employee of the business entity;
(vi) Assessments, testing, fees for license
and certification exams unless they are included in the training;
(vii) License renewal and recertification
fees;
(viii) Membership and
subscription fees;
(ix) Capital
construction of any kind; and
(g)
Grant Application Process. Business entities applying for training grants under
this section shall:
(i) Complete the Business
Training Grant application provided by DWS, and
(ii) Submit a completed Business Training
Grant application to DWS.
(A) Business
Training Grant applications that are submitted more than one hundred ten (110)
days before the scheduled first date of travel, if applicable, or the start
date of training will not be accepted, and
(B) Business Training Grant applications that
are submitted less than thirty (30) days before the scheduled first date of
travel, if applicable, or the start date of training will not be
accepted.
(h)
Contract and Payment
(i) The Director of DWS
may approve any training grant application that meets the requirements of
Sections 4(a) through (h) of these rules.
(ii) If the training grant is approved and
funds are available, DWS shall enter into a contract with the approved business
entity.
(iii) Grant funds shall be
paid directly to the business entity.
(i) Schedule for Payment of Funds
(i) Subject to Section 4(j)(i) through (iii)
below, the amount of the reimbursement associated with each trainee shall be
remitted to the business entity if the trainee:
(A) Has completed the training, and
(B) Has been retained in employment with the
business entity for a forty-five (45) day period after the date of completion
of the training.
(ii) For
each trainee who does not complete the training, the reimbursement relating to
the trainee shall not be remitted to the business entity.
(iii) For each trainee who has completed the
training but was not retained in employment with the business entity for
forty-five (45) days after completion of the training, the reimbursement
relating to the trainee shall not be remitted to the business entity.
(iv) A business entity may request
reimbursement when the employee, during the training through the forty-five
(45) days immediately following the training, is:
(A) Terminated for cause;
(B) Activated for military service;
or
(j) Final report. The
business entity shall submit a final report of the results of the training to
DWS.
(i) The final report is due no earlier
than forty-five (45) days and no later than one hundred thirty-five (135) days
after the training is completed.
(ii) The final report shall include:
(A) A summary report of the results of the
training program;
(B) A copy of the
agenda, manual or table of contents from the training provider that confirms
the dates of the requested training period;
(C) A payroll record listing the name(s),
last four (4) digits of the employee(s) social security number(s), if
applicable, and hourly wages or salary of the employee(s) trained for a pay
period forty-five (45) days after the training has completed;
(D) Invoices and receipts or proofs of
payment for allowable expenses, including travel and registration;
and
(E) Reasonable assurances that
the trainee(s) attended the training.
(iii) If a business entity does not submit a
completed final report, within one hundred thirty-five (135) days of the final
contract date, reimbursement will not be granted.