Editor’s note: This is the first in a three-part series on employer services provided by OhioMeansJobs Champaign County to help local businesses retain their workforce through training that prepares valued employees for new skills, technology and career advancement. Other employer services featured in this series include Incumbent Worker Training and Registered Apprenticeships.
The On-the-Job Training (OJT) program, available through OhioMeansJobs Champaign County, reimburses employers in targeted growth industries for a percentage of eligible new employees’ wages during on-the-job training.
For an employer to qualify for OJT reimbursement, potential OJT trainees must be prescreened and approved by OMJCC prior to their start date, says Andrea Mitchell, OMJCC employer services representative.
To be deemed eligible OJT employees must:
• Be hired for an in-demand occupation. A list of qualifying occupations can be found by clicking the Top Jobs icon on the home page of OhioMeansJobs.com.
• Have or be close to having the necessary skills for the job that their potential employer is hiring them for
Qualifying OJT employees are typically underemployed (earning less than $10 an hour) or have been unemployed. The program, Mitchell says, was created to incentivize employers to hire such individuals who demonstrate potential for growth.
A local manufacturer that serves a highly specialized market recently benefitted from the program, Mitchell said. “A lot of times they had job candidates who showed potential for growth, but coming through the door didn’t have the specific skills. They needed additional training. Those employees, at the end of on-the-job training, had the skills they needed.”
She added that the program guidelines require that qualifying employees be hired for in-demand occupations, because these jobs typically offer pathways to advancement.
The OJT program provides employers 50 percent reimbursement of trainee wages, up to $8,000 and a six-month training period.
Mitchell recommends that employers contact her when they’re planning open interviews or hiring events so that OMJCC can be on hand to determine whether candidates they’re interested in qualify for the OJT reimbursement program.
When she explains the program to employers, Mitchell sums it up: “You hire, you train, we pay.” During the training period, she says, the employer pays the trainee then sends OMJCC a reimbursement request at the end of training. She adds, “The employer designs their own OJT training program.”
To learn more about the On-the-Job Training program, call OhioMeansJobs Champaign County at 937-484-1581. OMJCC is available to provide employers presentations – onsite or virtually – about the OJT program and other OMJCC workforce training services.
