A c l a s s i c C F O / CE O e xch a n ge
CARL HADDEN
SBDC AT USF, POLK
COUNTY
What happens
if we invest in
developing our
people and they
leave us?
What happens
if we don’t and
they stay?
Many businesses
of all sizes find
themselves in this
conundrum and this
can be especially
challenging for small
businesses with
limited resources to
invest in training and
development of their
people.
A business can
focus on short-term
profitability by
minimizing training
expense or they can
create professional
development
programs to increase
the competency and
efficiency of their
people and their
business for the long
run.
CareerSource
Florida can make
this decision easier
with the Incumbent
Worker Training
(IWT) Program.
TheIncumbent Worker
Training Program,
funded by the federal
Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act
(WIOA), reimburses
existing, for-profit
businesses 50% of
employer-driven
training.
The next question
that typically arises is
the notorious WIIFM
(what’s in it for me?).
IWT is a scenario
where everyone wins.
18 || FFOORRUUMM FFOORR BBUUSSIINNEESSSS
Employers win with:
X Increased
Competitiveness
X Skilled
Workforce
X Increased
Productivity
X Increased
Profits
X Company Growth
X Reduced
Turnover
EmployeEs win with:
X Advancement
Opportunities
The State of Florida wins with:
A better trained workforce that helps drive economic growth. One
success story involves a chain of auto service and tire centers in
Central Florida that wasn’t able to find ASE Certified mechanics.
The business requires an ASE Certified mechanic be on duty at each
of their locations. I assisted the business in partnering with the
local vocational school to design a certification program, and with
CareerSource Polk to assist with a training grant to offset a portion
of the training costs. This partnership allowed the business to certify
employees who performed tire installation and oil changes. Over a
one year period those employees received their ASE Certification
and a nice bump in pay. The business was then able to backfill the
oil/tire change positions.
HOW CAN
YOUR BUSINESS
CONNECT WITH
THIS VALUABLE
X Increased Job
Opportunities
RESOURCE?
X Industry
Recognized
Credentials
UNIT AT YOUR LOCALCAREERSOURCE
CONTACT THE BUSINESS SERVICES
OFFICE. THE INCUMBENT WORKER
TRAINING PROGRAM ALLOWS
X Job Retention
BUSINESSES TO STRETCH THEIR
X Transportable
/ Transferrable
Skills
WITHOUT SACRIFICING
EXISTING TRAINING BUDGETS
SHORT-TERM PROFITABILITY.
Many businesses
of all sizes find
themselves in
this conundrum
and this can
be especially
challenging for
small businesses
with limited
resources to
invest in training
and development
of their people.