• Individual employers;

• An employer organization, labor organization or community-based organization; or
• A consortium, which may include the following:  an employer organization; a labor organization; an educational or training institution seeking to provide customized training to upgrade the job-related skills of New Jersey employers workers in a particular industry.
  
  o Consortiums must be comprised of 2 or more businesses with a common training need.
  o When submitting multiple organizational FEIN’s from a single parent corporation, please note that only one consortium application per parent organization will be accepted. 
  o Individual employer applications should have a match of 50% toward the total program costs.
   

Employers from all industries are invited to apply for grants under this Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO).

Individual employers are eligible to participate in only one Customized Training Grant at a time, including participation in Consortium Grants.

Type of training potentially eligible under a Customized Training grant includes:

• Training provided in a classroom setting, in partnership with a New Jersey-based training provider listed on the Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL), which includes New Jersey s two-year or four-year colleges and universities, vocational-technical schools, and other qualified training providers.

• Training provided by qualified in-house instructors in an on-the-job or classroom-based setting, for industry-specific skills sets.

• On-line training  

An applicant must demonstrate the need for the sought after training and, subsequently, report the impact and results of the training on business operations and identify the transferable skills acquired by employees.  All training courses are subject to the Department s review and approval.

Applicants should not request funding for basic skills training courses.  If literacy skills training is determined to best meet the applicant s need, applicants may apply for funding through the Supplemental Workforce Fund for Basic Skills grant competition.  If two applications are submitted at the same time (one customized and one literacy) only one Program Narrative will be required.  Please speak with your assigned NJLWD Business Representative to obtain the proper response form.

Priority of customized training classes should be identified by the applicant, ranking the classes in order of importance, with the most critical training need listed first.

In addition to the on-line application, each applicant should address the participating business information and training desired outcome measures listed below. Since the on-line application does not allow for narrative information, a Program Narrative should be submitted to the assigned Business Representative. Applications will not be considered complete until the narrative information is submitted. 

RATING CRITERIA

A review panel will thoroughly review and evaluate the applications against the rating criteria listed below.  Maximum 115 Points

Company Information (Maximum of 15 points)

• The business(es) employs 100 or less employees.  (10 Points)
• The business(es) employs 101 to 250 employees.  (5 Points)
• The business(es) is located in an area designated as a Labor Surplus Area by the United States Department of Labor.  (5 Points)

Special Points (Maximum of 20 points)

• Businesses from the following Targeted Industry Sectors / NAICS codes: (10 Points) 

• Financial Services
• Technology
• Transportation/Logistics/Distribution
• Bio-Pharma / Life Science

• New applicants that are applying for the first time and have not received a Literacy Training grant. OR
• Applicants who successfully demonstrate past utilization of funding of 75% or greater will be eligible for an additional 10 points.

1. Program Narrative (Maximum of 80 points)

 
a.  Training Plan
      

1)      Is the training plan aligned with the overall Organizational Development Plan of the applicant?  Explain how the training will lead to specific tangible financial and/or organizational performance improvement.  (What is the expected ROI Return on Investment)  Is there a demonstrable link between the proposed training and progress towards achieving measurable organization goals?

2)      Is the training plan structured in a manner consistent with business needs such as number of staff, multiple shifts, and business operating hours?  Is the plan achievable within the prescribed 12-month period?

b.       Please provide a justification of the need for the services and funding from the Office of Grants Operations, including information sufficient to demonstrate that significantly less training would be provided if the requested funding is not provided.

c.      Explain how the training is focused on front-line workers involved in the direct production of goods or delivery of services
d.       Explain how the training will create new jobs or avert layoffs and minimize turnover. The applicant should describe how specific training would enable or prevent these outcomes.

1)  If job creation and/or business expansion is expected, provide the following information.

i.  Explain how the training will allow for business expansion and create new jobs in New Jersey/

ii.  Explain the number and timing of new hires to include the average income and job titles of anticipated new hires.

iii.  Describe the procedure or process used to list newly created jobs with the One-Stop Career Centers or through Direct Employers/Job Central.

2)  If the training is expected to avert layoffs and minimize turnover, provide the following information:

i.  Explain how specific training will enhance the businesses ability to avert layoffs and minimize turnover.

ii.  Explain how the training will increase worker skills to enhance their ability to remain as productive and valuable employees.

e.  Explain how the training will result in a wage increase for the trainees and a projected timeline for wage increases to take effect.
f.  Career Ladder. Please describe the progression for the employees for which the training grant funds are being requested.

    i.  Describe how the training will facilitate the trainees' progression.
    ii.  The career ladder should display occupations arranged by type of work and approximate yearly salary wages.

g.  Will the requested training result in an industry recognized certification for the business or the trainees?  If so, please explain. 


A.  Budget Information

• The attached General Provisions of the Customized Training Program, must be reviewed and agreed to by the applicant.  Submission of a complete application acknowledges review and agreement.

B.  Program Proposal Content and Checklist

An applicant must demonstrate the impact and results of the training on the company or organization s operations and identify the transferable skills acquired by employees. All courses are subject to the Department s review and approval through a Panel Review process. Priority of training should be identified by the applicant, ranking the classes in order of importance with the most critical training need listed first.  The applicant must:

 • Must clearly identify the justification of need for the proposed training.
• Submit a narrative proposal that is consistent with the requested on-line Customized Tracking Training System (CTTS) application.
• Submit a Training Plan outlining completion of all courses within 1 year of grant approval notice.
• Identify the type of training.  The training costs and training hours must adhere to the cost per instructional hour and the number of training hours per course allowed by the Department.  Maximum cost per instructional hour is $200.00.
• Average cost of instruction per trainee shall not exceed $1000.00.
• Provide prospective trainees’ average wage and job titles.  A participating business(es) must identify the number of permanent part-time workers to be trained.  NOTE: permanent part-time workers must work no less than 20 hours per week.
• Business(es) must list newly created jobs with local One-Stop Career Centers or through JOBS4JERSEY.  Also, business(es) must demonstrate a commitment to establish and maintain a working relationship with local One-Stop Career Center to assist with the recruitment of new workers. Information about local One-Stop Career Center services is available at http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/wnjpin/findjob/onestop/ services.html.  The consortium leave agency, must provide the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for all participating businesses, additional information is available at www.census.gov/epcd/naics02. 
• As Public Law 2007, c. 101 requires, that as a precondition to the award of business assistance or incentive or as a component of the application for business assistance or incentive, a person or business seeking a grant, loan, loan guarantee, or other monetary or financial benefit from a department or agency of State government shall obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate from the Director of the New Jersey Division of Taxation prior to the issuance of the grant, incentive or assistance.  Tax Clearance Form 
• The Development Subsidy Job Accountability Act (P.L. 2007, c.200) requires that all applicants awarded a grant in excess of $25,000 complete the Development Subsidy Job Goals Accountability Form.  This form must be completed within 30 days after the State’s fiscal year for a period of five years after the Grant is awarded.  View Job Goals Development Subsidy Job Goals Accountability Act.
•3rd party training provider Form
• CEO signed Grant Conditions Form
• Insure a W-9 Form is filed with New Jersey Treasury 

Listed Below is the Applicant’s Checklist

• The WDP law requires that if the company receiving financial assistance for customized training services relocates jobs out of State or outsources employee positions within three years following the ending date of the customized training contract, the company must return all monies provided to the company by the State for customized training services.

Pre-Qualification Application:

To apply for the grant, all applicants must submit a notice of intent to apply by completing the pre-qualification portion of the application. For fiscal year 2012, applications will be considered for a customized training grant on a rolling basis; however, the final submittal date for a pre-qualification will be May 2, 2012.

Before proceeding, review the General Provisions document.  All grants awarded by the Department are subject to these General Provisions.  Any organization that wishes to apply for a competitive grant: Click Here . 

In the section of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire that asks for the Type of Desired Application, select Employer if you are applying for assistance for your individual organization. Select Consortium, if you are applying for assistance as a Lead Agent, on behalf of two or more organizations.

Once you complete the Pre-Qualification, print a copy for your records by selecting the Print button at the end of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, and then select the Submit button to submit the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire for review by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

When the Department’s review is completed, the Office of Grants Operations will send a message to the e-mail address specified in your Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  If additional information is required before proceeding with the application, the e-mail will contain instructions.  If no additional information is required, you will receive two e-mail messages as follows:

1. The first e-mail message will contain information for setting up your access to the My NJ Portal, as well as an authentication code you will use as part of the setup.
2. The second e-mail message will contain instructions for setting up your access to the CTTS, as well as a security code you will use as part of the setup.

Both steps are required and must be followed in the above order.

• Please note that these e-mails contain confidential logon access information to the CTTS.
• This information must not be shared, as each logon to the CTTS system is individual specific. 
• Third party training providers may request logon access to assist in the application development, only after proper sign-off is received by OGO from the applicant. 
• If additional access is required by the applicant, a request should be submitted through the assigned OGO Business Representative. 

LWD’s Business Representatives are available to assist applicants throughout the grant process.  It is important that applicants communicate directly with their assigned Business Representative.

APPLICATION:

Prepare applications using the on-line system (CTTS) with the following personal computer requirements:

• Windows 98 operating system or higher, with a connected printer;
• Internet Explorer browser, version 5.5 or higher and 128 bit cipher strength and active X enabled on the computer; and
• Internet E-mail Address.

Once you have established access to the My NJ Portal and to the CTTS, click on the Welcome to the Customized Training System link on the portal page. This will take you to the main menu screen for CTTS.  Look in the upper right corner of the menu; there is a description box that will either display Employer or Consortium, depending on which Type of Desired Application you requested when you completed the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  If this description box displays anything other than the Type of Desired Application you requested when you completed the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire, please notify the CTTS Help Desk at 609-633-6799 for assistance.

In the upper left corner of the menu screen, there are a series of selection boxes.  If you run your cursor over the boxes, another series of boxes will drop down from the menu box for your selection.  These are the action boxes that direct the CTTS to the function you wish to perform.

From the Application select box, choose the Create/View/Modify function.  This will bring you to the first section of either the Employer or the Consortium application, depending on the selection you made in your Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  Most of the data in this section will be pre-populated with information you provided in the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire.  Complete the information in this section.  Then select the Next button at the bottom of the section to move to Section Two.  After you advance to Section Two of the application, a Business Services Representative will be assigned to assist you in completing your application.  You will receive an e-mail and phone message providing the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of your designated Business Representative, who will schedule the initial phone conference/site visit.

If an applicant choses to utilize a 3rd party training provider, they may assist in the development of the application; however, the applicant is solely responsible for the submission of the final product.

NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Division of Workforce Grant and Program Management

Office of Grants Operations

P.O. Box 915, 7^th floor

1 John Fitch Plaza

Trenton, NJ 08625-0915

or

E-mail of assigned Business Representative.

(If submission of proposal is via e-mail delivery is not complete unless the assigned Business Representative provides written confirmation of receipt.)

NGO Technical Assistance Workshops
NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
13th Floor Auditorium
1 John Fitch Plaza
Trenton, New Jersey 08625-0915
Please visit http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/ for more information

Directions

Parking

Customized Training Quarterly Technical Assistance Workshops are held from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon on the following dates: 

Due to limited space, please register to attend the Customized Training Grants’ technical assistance workshop at least 2 business days prior to the event.  Contact the Help Desk at (609) 633-6799 and indicate your name, organization, contact information, and date that you are interested in attending the Competitive Customized Training Grants’ technical assistance workshop.

APPLICATION PREPARATION AND REVIEW BY NJLWD:

Applications will be reviewed monthly, beginning August 2011and ending June 2012.  The FY2012 schedule for submission of completed applications and the panel review dates are listed below*: 

 *Dates may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. When feasible, any changes will be posted on the department’s webpage.

**The Office of Grants Operations will offer additional assistance at our "Prospective Grantee Mini-Workshops," which can be scheduled by contacting the office of the Chief of Grants Operations, at (609) 984-4437 beginning after August 1, 2011. 

All applications are subject to a Department panel review and final approval by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.  Within 10 business days following the panel review date, applicants will be notified of the status of their application and any requested revisions.  Upon completion of all requested revisions and re-submission of completed applications within the required timeframes, applicants will be notified of the final determination of their request within 10 business days.

Appendix

Include documents and forms to be utilized in completing the application.

Tax Clearance Form

Development Subsidy Job Goals Accountability Act Form, for grant requests of $25,000 or more.
Grant Conditions Form

1 Year Training Plan

W-9 Form 
3rd Party Training Provider Access Form

Supplemental Narrative

Training Provider ETPL Registration