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Program
Commonwealth Corporation's Applicant Assistance Program (AAP) was developed to link private sector training needs with public sector training funds. Our senior professional staff helps employers develop effective training plans and competitive applications to the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund (WTF). This is a state-level fund, operated by the Department of Workforce Development, under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. During fiscal year 2007, more than $24M was awarded to 1,042 employers to train 32,145 workers.
Need
Many employers recognize the need to build the skills of their workers but lack experience in the design and implementation of education and training programs, or are unaware of financial resources available to support the cost. They may also have little experience with public grant programs, which means they have a hard time developing competitive grant applications.
Solution
Our staff provide an array of services that help a company to develop an effective training program and to present a compelling application for grant funds. These services may address the identification of training needs and objectives, the construction of a training plan, and referrals to potential training providers. We not only facilitate the application process to increase the likelihood of a successful application, we also provide employers with information about promising practices in workplace training.
Our services are free-of-charge to our customers.
Impact
AAP has helped employers develop training plans and secure financial resources for training, resulting in improved competitiveness, productivity, higher wages, job growth, and employee retention. During the past year the AAP assisted approximately 110 employers who received grant funds totaling more than $10.2 M to train roughly 12,775 workers.
