Incumbent  Worker Training (IWT) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides both workers and employers with the opportunity to build and maintain a quality workforce and increase both the worker's and company's competitiveness.It is a type of work-based training and upskilling designed to ensure that employees of a business can acquire the skills necessary to retain employment and advance within the company, creating backfill opportunities, or to acquire the skills necessary to avert a layoff. 

To qualify as an Incumbent Worker, the employee must:

• Be directly employed by your business and have an established work history of 6 months or more.  (Contract employees are not eligible.)  If the training is provided to a cohort of employees, a majority of those employees must meet the employment history requirement;
• Meet the Fair Labor Standards Act requirement for an Employer-Employee relationship;  
• Be at least 18 years of age;
• Work at least 32 hours/week;
• Earn an hourly wage above the state minimum wage; and
• Agree to cooperate with data collection requirements. 

To qualify for Incumbent Worker Training, the business must:

• Be in continuous operation for the 12 months immediately prior to the application submittal;
• Demonstrate training is linked to in-demand occupation(s);
• Demonstrate training will not only improve the skills of employees, but also improve the business’s processes and competitiveness, and/or avert a layoff; and
• Agree to cooperate with data collection requirements.

Download the Incumbent Worker Training Proposal

To find out more about the IWT program click HERE. Contact Business Services at (414) 270-1700 or biz.services@employmilwaukee.org to learn more about these opportunities to grow your workforce.