Incumbent Worker Training Call for Proposals

Background and Definition:

Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) is designed to increase the competitiveness of employers and improve the skills of employees and/or avert the need to lay off employees. IWT must:

1. Occur between employees and employers with an established relationship in which all individuals receiving training have been employed by the company for at least six months at the time of the training
2. Mitigate the impact of a layoff if utilized as part of a layoff aversion strategy (see below)
3. Allow the individual to gain industry recognized training experience and ultimately lead to an increase in compensation and/or opportunities for advancement
4. Anticipated contract terms and conditions (See attached Program Overview and Budget Worksheet)
   • IWT contracts are currently limited to $25,000 per company
   • Reimbursed training costs are limited to $7,000 per participant
   • Employers required to provide at least 50% matching requirement
     • Typically met by in-kind contributions of wages paid during training and other training related costs
   • Training period up to 90 days
   • Reimbursements and in-kind contributions limited to participants who complete the training

Layoff aversion is further defined for purposes of this application as:

• A training to implement a new company process, procedure, software or new equipment that the current employees/training cohort must learn in order to retain their current position;
  • Example- a new technology that a existing staff must learn because the previous methods and technologies cannot be integrated into or are no longer compatible with overall company processes and procedures (i.e. a paper-based documentation system is being replaced with a digital system)
• A training necessary to prevent or decrease the likelihood of a layoff (in the next full year from application date) due to changing regulations, certification or licensing requirements, or industry trends and conditions, where the skills to be acquired will enable the company to stabilize and ultimately grow its workforce
  • Example – a medical professional or public safety professional is required to obtain a new minimum level of proficiency not previously required in order to maintain their current job

Minimum Employer Requirements

1. Company has been in operation in Georgia for at least 12 months
2. Company has at least 5 full time employees
3. Company must be current on all tax obligations, in good standing with Georgia Secretary of State and currently licensed in the county in which it operates
4. Company has not sought WIOA assistance with past or impending layoffs at other facilities or a layoff due to relocation in the last 120 days

Employers selected under this Call for Proposals will have to provide documentation and complete a Pre-Award Review covering the above and related items.

Incumbent Worker Eligibility

All employees participating in incumbent worker training must meet the eligibility requirements below:

1. Be at least 18 years of age
2. Be a citizen of the United States or a non-citizen whose status permits employment in the United States
3. Males born on or after January 1, 1960, must register with the selective service system within 30 days after their 18th birthday or at least before they reach the age of 26
4. Meet the Fair Labor Standards Act requirements for employer-employee relations and have an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more (which may include time spent as a temporary or contract worker performing work for the employer receiving IWT funds). Exception: In the event that the incumbent worker training is being provided to a cohort of employees, not every employee in the cohort must have an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more as long as a majority of those employees being trained do meet the employment history requirement.
5. Not be a seasonal or temporary worker or a contract employee
6. Provide contact and demographic information in the WorkSource Georgia portal for purposes of WIOA participant cost tracking.

Allowable IWT Scenarios

1. If a business aims to prevent a layoff or closure due to:
   • Economic hardship, natural disaster, company buyout, downsizing, etc.
2. If a business aims to become more resilient and competitive due to:
   • standards, newly introduced industry technology, etc.
3. In all allowable IWT scenarios, employees must receive the following benefit:
   • For scenarios related to layoff aversion, employee must receive retained employment with comparable or higher compensation;
   • For all other scenarios, employees must receive retained employment and either (order of importance):
     • a permanent wage increase
     • financial incentive (bonus)
     • opportunity for promotion, or
     • an enhanced title reflecting increased responsibility.
       When appropriate, employers are encouraged to backfill positions left vacant by current upskilled employees.
4. IWT programs are prohibited from being utilized to fill vacant positions due to strikes and other labor dispute-related scenarios.

Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board Priorities for IWT

To better align with the ARWDB Local Workforce Plan and better support our county Economic Development Partners bonus points will be awarded for projects which:

1. Operate in an ARWDB targeted industry (7-County WorkSource Plan – pg. 5)
   • Healthcare
   • Information Technology
   • Transportation and Logistics
   • Construction
   • Advanced Manufacturing
2. Operate in an industry targeted by one of our county economic development partners:
   1. Cherokee County
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Commercial Developers
      • Film & Media
      • Information Technology
   2. Clayton County
      • Aviation and Aerospace Manufacturing
      • Food & Beverage: Processing and Manufacturing
      • Health Services and Health Logistics
      • Logistics & Distribution
      • Film & TV Production
   3. Douglas County
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Life Sciences and Healthcare
      • Media and Entertainment
      • Technology and Professional Services
   4. Fayette County
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Aerospace and Aviation
      • Corporate Headquarters
      • Film & Creative Media
      • Technology
   5. Gwinnett County
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Professional and Corporate Services
      • Health Sciences and Services
      • Information and Technology Solutions
      • Supply Chain Management
   6. Henry County
      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Healthcare Services
      • Logistics
      • Professional Solutions
   7. Rockdale County
      • Advanced Manufacturing (such as)
        • High performance computing
        • Information technology
        • Advanced robotics
        • Automation of manufacturing processes
        • Control systems to monitor systems and processes
      • New industrial platform technologies
      • Life sciences (Pharmaceuticals, Human Sciences, etc.)
      • Tech related companies (Fin-Tech, AI, Biotechnology, cyber security, block-chain)
      • Recreational/mega sports and entertainment/Film Industry
      • Healthcare and related services
3. Provide an Industry Recognized Credential – defined as:
   An industry-recognized credential is typically defined as being exam-based, administered by third parties, supplemental to traditional postsecondary credentials, and sought or accepted by employers in an industry
   

Application Submittal and Processing

1. Complete the attached application and submit to IWTProposals@atlantaregional.org.  by 5p.m. ET on October 4, 2024
2. Question and answer sessions will be held from:
   1. 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET on August 21, 2024
      Join the meeting now
      Meeting ID: 288 181 386 207
      Passcode: LJyWauDial in by phone
      +1 470-419-6063,,584572070# United States, Atlanta
      Find a local number
      Phone conference ID: 584 572 070#
   2. 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET on August 29, 2024
      Join the meeting now
      Meeting ID: 229 455 088 814
      Passcode: YkhdSnDial in by phone
      +1 470-419-6063,,636315943# United States, Atlanta
      Find a local number
      Phone conference ID: 636 315 943#
3. It is anticipated that applicants will be notified of selection by October 21, 2024
4. ARWDB staff will provide the selected applicants a draft contract and required attachments for company review and execution
   • See the ARC/ARWDB Sample Contract below
   • It is recommended that applicants conduct their internal legal, financial and other reviews prior to application, as the standard contract terms include required state and federal regulations that cannot be altered

Attachments

1. 1. IWT Program Overview
   2. IWT Application
   3. IWT Budget Worksheet
   4. IWT Pre-Award Checklist – Sample for Review
      • To be completed by selected applicants as part of the Contract execution
   5. ARC/ARWDB Sample Contract

Download all attachments (zip)