53-2-1217. Incumbent worker training program criteria for applicants. (1) An employer applying for an incumbent worker training program grant must:
(a) have been in business in this state for a minimum of 1 year;
(b) have a need for training incumbent workers; and
(c) be an existing client of a BEAR program recognized by the department, of a small business development center, or of the Montana manufacturing extension center at Montana state university-Bozeman.
(2) An applicant for an incumbent worker training program grant shall agree to:
(a) provide certified education or skills-based training for incumbent workers in existing full-time jobs and permanent part-time jobs through an eligible training provider;
(b) match every $4 requested with at least $1 of employer funds. The same match applies for in-state training and for out-of-state training. Matching funds may include wages and benefits paid for the day that the actual training takes place and for appropriate travel and lodging charges associated with the approved training. For out-of-state training the employer is responsible for at least 50% of the actual costs of appropriate travel and lodging.
(c) provide evidence to the department that training was completed.
(3) An incumbent worker training program grant application must contain at a minimum:
(a) a cover letter describing the goals of the training for the incumbent workers, the anticipated economic benefits from the training, and the amount of funding requested;
(b) information that provides an adequate understanding of the applicant's business and the training objective;
(c) a description of the eligible training provider's proposed curriculum, resources, methods, and duration of training;
(d) a list of incumbent workers to be trained and their current job descriptions and base wage rates plus the expected wage rates after training;
(e) the total number of the employer's employees at the location of the proposed training and within the state;
(f) the sources of matching funds to be provided; and
(g) any other information required by rule by the department that is similar to information required for other employment-related grants.