The Ohio Industrial Training Program (OITP)

Synopsis
The Ohio Industrial Training Program (OITP) provides financial assistance and resources for customized training involving employees of new and expanding Ohio manufacturing businesses and will consider other industries creating a large number of new jobs.

Contact
Ohio Department of Development
Laura Hurst, Regional Training Coordinator
Telephone: (330) 797-6301 or 797-6345

Type
Direct reimbursement for training costs

Eligible Firms
Manufacturing or manufacturing-related firms, as identified by primary Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)

Maximum Reimbursement
Fifty percent of trainer costs (up to $20 per hour) plus materials associated with training.

Conditions
Basic eligibility requirements:

1. Applicant must be a manufacturing entity, or manufacturing-related operation identified by its primary SIC.



2. Applicant must be creating, or retaining, full-time permanent jobs. A job retention application requires a letter of need signed by the company's President, CEO and /or Plant Manager.



3. New business start-ups, in operation for less than 12 months, creating new, full-time permanent employment positions.



4. Expanding operations within the following rational:
   
   

   Process change	New technology
   New equipment	New product line
   New building or facility expansion	Training required
   New jobs created by outside entity

Program Consideration
The program is an economic development tool, which is used in conjunction with other Department of Development programs to attract, expand and retain Ohio based jobs. Financial assistance may be provided for business and industry where there is manufacture and/or assembly of goods or information production, for verifiable retention of jobs, expansion of industry through capital investment, or for new industry.

Guidelines
The training for which OITP assistance is requested should be:

1. Related exclusively to the economic development project purpose.
2. Only for new and existing employees of the company.
3. Limited to providing skills associated with the company's project and advanced training or education over a 12-18 month training period, unless prior ODOD/OITP approval has been obtained in writing.

Each company must complete/submit a proposal, including training plan, to the local OITP Coordinator. The training plan submitted within the proposal must not have begun prior to the beginning of the application funding cycle unless prior approval has been granted.

ODOD/OITP reserves the right to request additional information for clarification of originally submitted proposal information or request for the first time, new information relative to the proposal.

Other Programs Available
Funds for Appalachia Industrial Retraining (F.A.I.R.) Funds for Appalachia Industrial Retraining (F.A.I.R.), the OITP has a joint agreement through ARC (Appalachia Regional Commission), to match funds to support training for companies established in the 29 Ohio Appalachian counties. The dollar amount set aside from each program is respectively; $250,000 ARC and @250,000 OITP. The funding is to assist in company training program proposals that would not typically be funded, or could not compete under the OITP review instrument.

School-to-Work Program
OITP participates in the School-to-Work Program to assist community educational institutions towards allowing high school students the opportunity for youth pre-apprenticeship programs. OITP reimburses for company mentorship costs.

A.S.S.E.T. Program (Advanced Scientific and Specialized Employee Training)

OITP offers an A.S.S.E.T. Program (Advanced Scientific and Specialized Employee Training) to assist in offsetting research and development costs associated with training the more highly skilled individual (such as Chemists, Engineers, etc.).

High Unemployment Program

OITP participates in a joint partnership with JTP-Ohio for the High Unemployment Program, serving the economically disadvantaged. The Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) have the opportunity to apply for matching state funds to train, educate and place JTPA Title II-A eligible individuals within an educational career path. The OITP Training Coordinator assists with potential job opportunities, marketing, monitoring and invoicing.

This is only a summary and should not be misconstrued as to the actual law and program guidelines, but used as a convenient reference to the law and program.