Employers

EMPLOYER BENEFIT PROGRAMS

The CareerSource Chipola Advantage. The CareerSource Chipola centers work in more ways than one. Businesses not only gain access to qualified job candidates, they also may qualify for special hiring and training incentives.  For additional information about these and other programs available for employers through the CareerSource Chipola centers contact Cheri Gilmore.

Business Incentives.  Several tax and cash incentives are available to companies that hire from select labor pools, including former welfare recipients. Additionally, employees hired through CareerSource Chipola centers may also be eligible for subsidized childcare, transportation and education-services that benefit businesses because they help ensure that entry-level workers can focus on their jobs.

Enterprise Zone Incentives.  Business located in an Enterprise Zone may be eligible for various tax credits if they hire new employees from groups including welfare recipients and graduates of Workforce Investment Act classroom training programs. Businesses can claim a percentage of the employee’s wages against either their corporate income tax or to offset property or sales tax on building materials and business equipment.

On-The-Job Training (OJT).  On-the-Job Training (OJT) means paid training that is provided by an employer to a participant while engaged in productive work in a job that allows the participant to acquire knowledge or skills essential to the full and adequate performance of the job.  The training is limited in duration as appropriate to the occupation for which the participant is being trained.  The employer is reimbursed up to fifty percent of the participant’s wage, for the costs of providing the training and additional supervision related to the training.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit.  This incentive, available to employers hiring welfare recipients and individuals from other groups including food stamp recipients as well as some veterans, vocational rehabilitation clients and people receiving Supplemental Security Income, can earn up to $2,400 per employee in federal income taxes.

Employers receive up to 40 percent of qualified wages for a maximum credit of $2,400 per employee for employees working more than 400 hours. For individuals who work between 120 and 400 hours, employers are eligible for tax credits of up to 25 percent.

Employers should complete a pre-screening notice before hiring a qualified applicant and must complete ETA form 9061 if the employee has been conditionally certified by the state. Additionally, a one-page form (such as payroll stubs or other proof of employment) must be filed to document the employee’s eligibility. All forms must be filed within 21 days of employee’s start date.

Welfare Transition Business Bonus.  Florida’s welfare transition bonus is a simple cash-back bonus for employers who hire welfare recipients with less than six months of eligibility remaining at wages that preclude them from receiving cash benefits.  Employers may receive $250 after 30 days of employment and an additional $500 after the first 90 days.

Quick Response Training.  The Quick Response Training Program (QRT) provides grant funding for customized training for new or expanding businesses.  Through this customer-driven program, Florida is able to effectively retain and attract businesses creating new high-quality jobs.  CareerSource Florida administers the program.  Created in 1993 by Florida Statute 288.047.(3), Quick Response has provided customized training for over 85,000 employees for more than 300 businesses and industries throughout the state.  The program has been structured to be flexible and to “respond quickly” to meet the business’s training objectives.  A local fiscal agent – community college, area technical center, or university – is selected and is available to help develop or deliver the customized program and to provide assistance in the application process.  If the business already has a training program in place, the local training provider will supervise and manage the training program and serve as the fiscal agent for the grant funds.

Incumbent Worker Training.  The Incumbent Worker Training Program provides grant funding for customized training for existing for profit businesses.  Through this customer-driven program, Florida is able to effectively retain and keep businesses competitive through upgrade skills training for existing full-time employees.  CareerSource Florida administers the program. Established in 1999, the Incumbent Worker Training Program has provided customized training for over 23,000 employees for more than 300 businesses throughout the state.  The program has been structured to be flexible to meet the business’s training objectives.  The business may use public, private, or its own in-house training provider based on the nature of the training.

Welfare to Work Tax Credit.  On March 9, 2002, the President signed into law, P.L. 107-147, the “Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002,” reauthorizing the WtWTC and the WOTC for 24 additional months through December 31, 2003, to encourage employers to hire members of the targeted groups with barriers to employment.  This reauthorization is retroactive to the WtWTC and the WOTC’s expiration date of December 31, 2001.

The Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit is an important tool in a diverse toolbox of flexible strategies designed to help people move from welfare to work and economic self-sufficiency.  It joins the WOTC and other targeted tax credits and employment program initiatives that both help American workers and increase American productivity and economic growth.

Relocation Benefits.  CareerSource Florida offers special assistance to new and existing businesses creating quality jobs in growth business sectors or retraining workers to meet the changing demands of technology. Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development agency, also offers incentives for companies considering relocation to Florida.