Employer Based Training Services

​To be competitive in the marketplace, business owners need to have the best employees. This may require those business owners to provide training. Training allows them to retain their best employees, or hire new ones that will be trained to do the job. Either way, Illinois workNet offers a number of resources to help those business owners meet their training needs.

Training Programs

There are a variety of training programs available to employers in Illinois. Read more about these types of programs on the Employer-Based Training Programs page:

• Class-sized training
  
• Customized training
• Incumbent Worker Training
• On-the-Job Training
• Special Programs like (EPIC)
  

Choosing a training program depends on the situation the business is in. Here are a few example situations and the type of training required for them:

1. Business B just bought 5 new machines that include updated computer systems and software. Their employees need skills training to be able to operate the new machines. Answer: Customized Training.
2. Business M needs to hire 28 new employees to fill a second shift. They have gone through the interview process, but are not finding enough employees to fill the shift. Answer: On-the-Job Training.
3. Business T has 5 employees that they would like to promote. However, they lack a few specific skills. If these employees had training, all of them would qualify. Answer: Incumbent Worker Training.

Hiring Credits

Help business owners offset training costs through hiring tax credits with programs such as:

• People with Disabilities:
• Architectural and Transportation Tax Deduction
  
• Disabled Access Credit
  
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
  
• On the Job Evaluations (OJE)
  
• On the Job Training (OJT)
  
• Re-entry Hiring Program:
• WOTC
  
• Federal Bonding/Fidelity Bonding Program
  
• Enterprise Zone Tax Credit
  
• Veterans:
• WOTC
  
• Illinois Veterans Jobs Credit
  
• America's Heroes at Work
  
• Special Employer Incentives (SEI) program
  
• Other:
• State of Illinois Tax Credit for Hiring Veterans and Ex-Offenders
  

If you would like to learn more about hiring credits, read more about them on the Employer Hiring Credits page.

Cost Reimbursement

Many of these training programs could lead to cost reimbursement for training or tax credits for hiring certain demographics. If this is a concern, review the above information about specific programs and hiring credits. You can also check the Materials list for the associated flyers.

Helpful Tools

Depending on the training type a business chooses, Workforce GPS provides a few resources that can help them. For example, it offers an On-the-Job Training Toolkit that helps employers design and implement OJT programs. This includes information as well as features like FAQs, a Contract Checklist, and a Policy and Procedures Manual.

In the case of Incumbent Worker Training, Workforce GPS also offers a WIOA Desk Reference document that employers can refer to.