Workforce Development Training Fund
The Workforce Development Training Fund (WDTF) is a unique Wyoming-based program connecting employers with professional development opportunities to increase employee skill attainment. Grant Options include Business Training Grants, Pre-Hiring Economic Development Grants, Pre-Obligation Grants, and Apprenticeship Grants.
Please call (307) 777-6075 or (307) 777-8717 with questions.
Select the type of grant you're interested in by clicking the appropriate tab above.
Business Training Grants
◦ Grants for Existing Positions ▾
These grants help fund skill upgrades for your existing employees. Business Training Grants for Existing Positions can provide up to $2,000 per trainee per fiscal year for established Wyoming businesses with existing employees who need a skill upgrade or need re-training in their current occupations. In order for training to be approved, the business must demonstrate the following:
- Training will either correct an employee's skill deficiency or upgrade an employee's current skill level;
- There is a direct relationship between the training and the trainee's occupation or craft;
- The training is not normally provided by the business;
- The business will not substitute funds normally provided for training or funds obtained from another source with Business Training Grant funds;
- There is a need for the skill upgrade provided by the training for the business to remain competitive in the industry or economy; and
- The skill upgraded provided by the training will:
- Enhance the business's productivity, efficiency or profitability;
- Reduce employee turnover;
- Enhance employee effectiveness; or
- Enhance employee wages.
◦ Grants for New Positions ▾
These grants help fund training for your new employees. Business Training Grants for New Positions can provide between $1,000 and $4,000 per trainee per fiscal year, depending on the employee's full-time status and wage amount. Grants for New Positions were developed to assist Wyoming businesses in two ways:
- Wyoming Business Expansion - One of the most difficult issues facing a company trying to expand its services and workforce is the overwhelming cost associated with hiring and training a workforce during the start-up phase of the expansion. The Workforce Development Training Fund can help a growing Wyoming business by deferring much of the business's training costs during the expansion phase.
- New Business Recruitment - The Workforce Development Training Fund is a tool for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services to partner with Wyoming's economic development entities in recruitment of new businesses to our state. During the site selection phase of the business recruitment process, all of the benefits of choosing Wyoming over another state become crucial. The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services works with our economic development partners to ensure that a business considering Wyoming as a place of operation will know how the Workforce Development Training Fund can help create a successful start-up by deferring much of the its training costs.
◦ Online Application ▾
Returning Applicants
New Applicants
Your business must have accounts set up and be in good standing with the following entities before registering with Workforce Development Training Fund
- Secretary of State - allow up to 7-15 day for processing
- Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance - allow up to 2-4 weeks for processing
- Wyoming at Work - allow up to 5 business days for processing; however, if Workers' Compensation or Unemployment Insurance accounts are not set up, the Wyoming at Work verification process may take longer as these accounts are required to complete the Wyoming at Work account set up.
Register your Business for Workforce Development Training Fund – Business Training Grants
- Training Fund Online Business Registration
- Training Fund Online Business Registration Demonstration Video
- Receive confirmation of business activation from the WDTF Team via the message center
Register your business as a vendor with the Wyoming State Auditor's Office
- Receive email from DWS-WDTF@wyo.gov including the W-9 form needed to complete vendor registration
- Download forms manually
- Fill out the W-9 Form, attach banking documentation and mail via US Mail to WDTF:
Department of Workforce Services
Attn: WDTF
614 South Greeley Highway
Cheyenne, WY 82002 - NOTE: Only businesses registered as a vendor with the State Auditor's Office can receive payments from the Workforce Development Training Fund
Online Application
Begin application process for Business Training Grants
- Fill out and save your application. Be ready to submit when the application submit button is visible!
- Application submit button will be visible on the first business day of the month at 9 a.m. Submission will remain open until funds have been exhausted for the month. NOTE: this could happen as quickly as within the hour or could remain open for multiple days depending on the volume of applications received.
- The first date of training must be a minimum of 30 calendar days and no more than 110 calendar days from date of application submission.
- Submit supporting documentation, within 24 hours of application submission, via email to: DWS-WDTF@wyo.gov or via fax to (800) 232-1179. Failure to provide supporting documentation may result in application denial.
WDTF Team reviews submitted applications
- Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis and will be sorted by training date to prioritize processing.
- Once an application is processed, WDTF Team will notify business if additional information is required, or if approved or denied. NOTE: If the application is approved, the Department of Workforce Services will enter in a contract with the business. The contract is not fully executed until all signatures are obtained. No payment will be made without a fully executed contract.
**Grant approval is NOT guaranteed and is based on availability of funds**
Pre-Hiring Economic Development Grants
These grants focus on creating a trained workforce for specific Wyoming industry. The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services recognizes the importance of an educated, skilled workforce in promoting Wyoming's economic growth. To foster this growth, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services assist employers with the Pre-Hire Economic Development Grant Program.
The Pre-Hire Economic Development Grant Program is designed to train skilled workers in a particular business, businesses or industry. Applications are completed through a partnering of four entities that contribute separate needs or services to the program:
- A training entity that can deliver the training, certificate or skills the business requires;
- A business, group of businesses or an industry with a need for workers;
- The local or regional economic development entity that will work within the local or regional economic network to provide assistance; and
- The local Workforce Center, which will assist in the recruitment of potential skilled workers, along with placement of trained participants.
Pre-Obligation Grants
For our economic development partners, the Workforce Development Training Fund sets aside funding for large relocation or expansion projects. Pre-Obligation of Workforce Development Training Fund funding allows economic developers the flexibility to request advance allocation of Workforce Development Training Fund funding in support of a new or expanding business in Wyoming. Pre-Obligated funds may only be requested by economic development entities, and any funding allocated through Pre-Obligation must be disbursed through an approved Pre-Hire Economic Development Grant and/or a Business Training Grant for New Positions.
Please note that applications for Pre-Obligation of Workforce Development Training Fund funding are typically not required for a grant application or project with a total cost of less than $50,000.
Apprenticeship Grants
Grants are currently available. Some program aspects are still in development.
For more details, contact RJ Glantz at (307) 777-2591.