NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Announces $10M Incumbent Worker Training Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2024

TRENTON - The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) has announced $10 million in available funding through the UPSKILL: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant to help employers further train existing workers. The Department has awarded over $14.7 million in funding to 199 employers and organizations to train 36,775 employees through UPSKILL over the past 3 years (see the chart below).

The FY25 funds will be competitively awarded to New Jersey employers to reimburse up to 50 percent of their cost for training frontline employees to meet current and future occupational skills needed for mid- and high-skill jobs.

"Sometimes the cost of training programs for employees can be a burden for small- and medium-sized businesses," said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. "By helping implement stronger training programs despite budget limitations, grants like UPSKILL can be a game-changer for many organizations."

Applications are being accepted from individual employers; employer-, labor-, community- and faith-based organizations; and secondary or postsecondary school or training providers seeking to fulfill the training needs of an industry-specific consortium of employers. Individual employers and consortiums may apply for a maximum of $500,000.

Grant funds are intended to achieve measurable outcomes for employers and trained employees to "seed" occupational skills training and to support businesses in retaining workers and maintaining a presence in New Jersey.

Eligible expenses include tuition, textbooks, software and examination/credentialing fees for third-party classroom training, on-the-job training, and company in-house training. Individual employers may also use funding for up to 50 percent of trainee wages during on-the-job and company in-house training. Employers may use funds for remote training with documentation.

The grants should not supplement training that would otherwise occur without grant assistance, such as annual training or onboarding.

To apply, applicants must be registered and approved by NJDOL in the online IGX grant management system, submit a letter of intent, and complete and upload required documents. Completed applications submitted by the due date will be reviewed and rated by a diverse panel of NJDOL representatives who will make funding recommendations to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

For deadlines and other information, view the full Notice of Grant Opportunity here.

Learn about all grants available through the NJDOL here.

Upskill: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grants
Fiscal Year	Number of Grants Awarded	Amount	# Trained
2022	44	$3,245,725	11,423
2023	65	$5,861,482	12,658
2024	90	$5,641,438	12,694
Total	199	$14,748,645	36,775

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