The Customized Training (CT) Program is funded by the Federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and administered by work2future. The purpose of the program is to provide reimbursements to employers to assist with certain expenses associated with skills upgrade training to bridge the gap between the participant's initial skill level and the skill level required to benefit the committed employer(s).

A business approved for funds enters into a contract with work2future , which commits the business to completion of the CT training project as proposed in their application.

Program Guidelines

Applications for the 2005-2006 work2future Customized Training Program are open to companies, agencies and organizations meeting the guidelines listed below.

All applications are subject to a pre-award review by a panel of work2future staff.

Business Applying for Funding:

• Must not use WIA funding for any activity that would otherwise be available in the absence of such funds (per section 195.2, Workforce Investment Act of 1998)

• Must agree to certify the skills and abilities obtained by trainees who successfully complete the Customized Training program with a nationally recognized degree or certificate, a State recognized credential, or a work2future Board-approved locally defined credential.

• May be reimbursed for up to 50% of the cost of providing WIA-enrolled trainees with a Customized Training program

• Must be a business in qualified, targeted industries providing demand occupations

• Must demonstrate financial viability and must be current on all state tax obligations

• May receive reimbursements for training WIA-eligible trainees who are currently employed if employee's base wage, not including benefits, is less than work2future's established Self-Sufficiency wage of $24.79 per hour

• Businesses who commit to hire all trainees who successfully complete training
• Businesses in City of San Jose Enterprise Zone
• Businesses whose proposals represent a significant upgrade in employee skills
• Businesses whose proposals represent a significant layoff avoidance strategy

• May be provided through California's public or private educational institutions, private training organizations, trainers employed by the business, or a combination of training providers. Private postsecondary institutions and private training providers may be utilized only upon a review that includes, but is not limited to, accreditation and licensure and prior approval by work2future

• May be conducted at the business's own facility, at the training provider's facility or at a combination of sites

• May incorporate a Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) component to the CT program dedicated to providing skills to meet new job requirements

• Instructor/trainer wages at a predetermined rate of pay
• Tuition
• Registration
• Textbooks/Manuals

• Trainee's wages
• Stipends
• Travel, lodging or meal expenses

• Any business approved for reimbursement through the work2future CT Program that is a recipient or sub-recipient of Federal funding of $300,000 or more in a fiscal year will be required to furnish an independent financial and compliance audit. The company is responsible for the cost of the audit. CT funds cannot be used to cover these costs.

• Approved budget items are reimbursed upon presentation of adequate documentation of the training and evidence that the training expense incurred has been paid.

• Businesses will keep accurate records of the project's implementation process and certify that all information provided for the purpose of requesting reimbursements and reporting training activity is accurate and true.

• For performance tracking purposes, businesses are required to submit specific information for employees participating in training activities that includes, but is not limited to: trainee's names, last four digits of trainee social security numbers, dates of birth, races/ethnicities, and wages.

• Businesses submit reimbursement request with required supportive documentation (line item invoice with documentation that training expenses have been paid by business) following completion of training If Customized Training will be ongoing, reimbursement requests are submitted monthly.

• Final payment for businesses receiving Customized Training reimbursements will be withheld until the final report is submitted and all performance criteria specified in the contract have been achieved; including, but not limited to, criteria regarding hiring of successful participants and participants receiving credentials.

• Because of the high demand and limited funding available, applications will be evaluated to leverage other applicable State, Federal, and private funds with Customized Employment Training funds.

• All training projects shall be performance-based with specific, measurable performance outcomes, including the completion of the training project and number of employees trained.

• Businesses shall provide sufficient documentation to work2future for identification of all employee participants for calculation of performance measures required by WIA and any other outcomes deemed pertinent by work2future .

Application Instructions

Complete the CT Program Application. Any information or documentation that cannot be supplied in the provided space should be identified by the relevant question number and attached to the back of the application form. Submit one original and three (3) copies of the signed completed application to:

work2future Customized Training Program
Attention: Chris Donnelly
1290 Parkmoor Avenue
San Jose, CA 95126