The Department of Employment and Workforce, through the local workforce areas, provides several training programs to help businesses find and retain good employees. Below are a few of the options available.

Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) helps you stay on the cutting edge and increase productivity and quality by providing employees with needed training in order for the business to remain competitive. IWT is a training resource to help businesses respond to changing skills requirements caused by new technology, re-tooling, new product lines or new organizational structuring. Learn more about Incumbent Worker Training or contact your local workforce area for more details and funding availability.

On-The-Job Training (OJT) offers a solution for businesses that are challenged with hiring, promoting and retaining employees who lack the specialized knowledge to perform their jobs effectively. OJT provides wage/salary reimbursements of 50 percent to 90 percent to employers to compensate for costs associated with training new employees. SC Works Center staff works with you to determine needs and create a customized training plan for eligible employees. The percentage and length of reimbursement varies by the size of your company, specific skills to be acquired for the job and local workforce area. Contact your local workforce area for more details and funding availability.

Customized Training provides businesses with training resources that are designed to meet the specific requirements of the business. Training is conducted by the business itself or a training provider with a commitment by the business to employ/ continue to employ an individual upon successful completion of training. Training costs are reimbursed on a sliding scaled based on the company size, with the business providing a matching contribution of no more than 50 percent of the cost of the training. Contact your local workforce area for more information.

Registered Apprenticeship is a time-tested strategy for employee development that combines supervised on-the-job learning with job-related classroom education. It is an excellent training model for quickly getting new employees up to speed and maximizing the skills of the current workforce. Apprenticeship programs can be found in a variety of industries including advanced manufacturing, information technology, energy, tourism, transportation and logistics, as well as healthcare, just to name a few. Registered Apprenticeship provides employers with the unique opportunity to grow its own workforce. To find out more about Registered Apprenticeship, please call 803-896-5287 or visit Apprenticeship Carolina online.

Learn about our skill training initiatives.