We can build big things again in Pennsylvania — but we need the workforce to do it.
That’s why on July 31st, Governor Shapiro signed an Executive Order to create the Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program to invest up to $400 million of federal funding in on-the-job workforce training over the next five years. Under the leadership of Secretary of Labor and Industry Nancy Walker and the Governor’s Office of Critical Investments, the Shapiro Administration will work with companies, contractors and unions who are working on projects funded by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) or the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to reimburse costs related to on-the-job training for new workers.
When a contractor or a union is working on a federally funded project, they will be able to hire new workers and provide them with meaningful on-the-job training, whether through a pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship program – or through a training center. If they commit to training them and keeping them on the job for at least six months, the Commonwealth will reimburse them for the cost for that training for up to $40,000 per worker.
If you’re an employer working on an IIJA or IRA funded project, read more to find out how you can take advantage of the CWTP.
Does my project qualify?
The CWTP will expand Pennsylvania’s workforce, create opportunity, accelerate infrastructure projects, and grow the economy by providing on-the-job training to new employees, investing as much as $400 million over the next five years.
Any project in Pennsylvania or entity that received a contract, subcontract, grant, or subgrant that was awarded funds from the Commonwealth that were appropriated under the IIJA or IRA after July 31, 2023 are eligible.
Do my employees qualify?
CWTP grants are only available to be used for new employees who live in Pennsylvania, work full-time, with full benefits, were hired to work on an IIJA or IRA project for at least six months, and have completed or been enrolled in the employer’s approved on-the-job training program for at least six months.
The CWTP is designed to empower and expand economic opportunities for Pennsylvanians who have too often been left out and left behind. New employees must also meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have recently graduated or received a certification from a high school, trade school, or community college.
- Have been enrolled in or completed an approved Apprenticeship or Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
- Be registered with PA CareerLink at the time of hire.
- Be paroled or released from a correctional institution within the previous six months of hire.
- Have been a recipient of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Assistance Women Infants and Children (WIC) or other Pennsylvania cash assistance program.
APPLY FOR CWTP GRANTS
Employers interested in applying for a CWTP grant should contact the CWTP as soon as possible.
Employers applying for a CWTP grant must provide all requested documentation showing eligibility, including but not limited to:
- Payroll records,
- Substantiation of supportive services provided,Proof of remittance of applicable payroll taxes,
- Documentation of training programs and costs,
- Contracts,
- Subcontracts,
- Grant agreements,
- Subgrant agreements,
- Documentation of tax credits,
- And other project documents.
Employers should contact the CWTF immediately after they receive a contract or award from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for infrastructure projects funded by the IIJA or IRA.
Program Guidelines are forthcoming. The Commonwealth reserves the right to alter these Program Guidelines, including eligibility requirements and/or applicability of funding to specific programs, at its sole discretion.
