NEWS

Workforce Development Training Fund Reduces its Carbon Footprint

CHEYENNE - In order to support the Agency's Carbon Footprint Initiative, the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services' Workforce Development Training Fund has implemented a new, more cost effective procedure to obtain signatures on contracts for Business Training Grants. The Agency's Carbon Footprint Initiative asks each division to reduce environmental impacts, such as reducing paper and carbon emissions, wherever possible.

The Workforce Development Training Fund, a grant program which offers funding to assist Wyoming businesses to train their employees. Housed in the Department's Business Training and Outreach Division, the business training grants can fund up to $2,000, per trainee, per fiscal year, to established Wyoming businesses with existing employees who need a skill upgrade or retraining. The business training grants can also fund up to $4,000, per trainee, per fiscal year, for a new position which is created in an existing business or to assist new businesses to the state. To date, 929 Wyoming businesses have accessed the Workforce Development Training Fund.

The new contract signature procedure for Business Training Grants includes emailing contracts for signature to businesses requesting that only the signature page be mailed back in hard-copy to the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. This new procedure not only reduces the postage required (while saving tax dollars), it also reduces the Agency's Carbon Footprint by eliminating unnecessary paper. The cost savings to the Workforce Development Training Fund will be up to $4.01 per grant (or approximately $3,876.36 per fiscal year) in paper, copying and postage costs.

Laurie Timm, the Workforce Development Training Fund Program Manager, said, "This new procedure was developed as a result of the Agency's request to reduce the Department's Carbon Footprint. We are excited to assist Director Joan Evans with her initiative to improve the Agency's energy efficiency."

For more information about the Workforce Development Training Fund, please call Timm at (307) 777-8616. For more information about the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services or the Department's efforts to reduce its Carbon Footprint, please call (307) 777-8650 or 877-WORK-WYO. The Department of Workforce Services can be found online at wyomingworkforce.org

Listen to the audio podcast from Laurie Timm, Workforce Development Training Fund Program Manager for the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.