Skills for Small Business Grants
Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Skills for Small Business Program
Through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Skills for Small Business Program, up to $2 million from the Skills Development Fund is dedicated to the backbone of Texas’s business community – our small employers. Small businesses can apply directly to TWC for training offered by their local community or technical college, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). TWC processes the applications and works with the college to fund the specific courses selected by businesses for their employees.
This exceptional opportunity is in conjunction with the Governor’s Small Business Forums. It supports businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and emphasizes training for new workers. It has the additional ability to upgrade the skills of incumbent works.
About the Program
| Emphasizes training newly hired employees – those who have been hired by the business up to three months prior to the date that TWC receives an application. |
| The program pays up to $1,450 for each new employee being trained and $725 for existing employees per 12-month period. |
| Funding for training is for full-time employees. |
| All training must be provided by a public community or technical college, or the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). No third-party vendor training is allowed. |
| Training must be selected from active course catalogs/schedules – credit, continuing education, on-line or other available unpublished courses. |
| May also emphasize training in occupations targeted by Local Workforce Development Boards. |
| Employers must pay the prevailing wages in the local labor market for the trainees funded under the grant. |
Application Process for Businesses
| Identify new or incumbent employees to be trained. |
| Identify each employee’s job/occupation title and corresponding Standard Occupational Classification Code (SOC). |
| SOC codes can be found at http://stats.bls.gov/soc/home.htm |
| Identify employee’s wages. Wages must meet prevailing wage for the area where the business is located. |
| Identify the 2-year Public Community or Technical College nearest the business’ location. |
| Select training course(s) from the regular credit, continuing education and/or on-line course catalogs (PDF). |
| Determine the business’ targeted occupation(s). Skills for Small Business emphasizes training in occupations targeted by the local workforce board. |
| Workforce Solutions South Plain’s list of Targeted Occupations can be found here. |
| Complete and submit application directly to TWC. E-mail application to SkillsForSmallBusiness@twc.state.tx.us or fax to (512)463-7187. |
Visit the TWC website to access application forms and instructions.
