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Overview
Through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) Skills for Small Business program, up to $2 million from the Skills Development Fund is dedicated to the backbone of Texas' business community—our small employers. Small businesses can apply to TWC for training offered by their local community or technical college, or the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). TWC processes the applications and works with the college to fund the specific courses selected by businesses for their employees.
This exceptional opportunity supports businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and emphasizes training for new workers though it also may help upgrade the skills of incumbent workers.
- Skills for Small Business emphasizes training newly hired employees, those who have been hired by the business up to twelve months prior to the date that TWC receives an application.
- The program pays up to $1,800 for each new employee being trained and $900 for existing employees per 12-month period.
- Funding for training is for full-time employees.
- All training must be provided by a public community or technical college, or the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). No third-party vendor training is allowed.
- Training must be selected from active course catalogs/schedules— credit, continuing education, online or other available unpublished courses.
- Employers must pay the prevailing wages in the local labor market for the trainees funded under the grant.
Skills Development Fund COVID-19 Special Training Initiative
NOTICE: Currently Skills Development Fund is only accepting COVID-19 training applications.
The Skills Development Fund is launching a new training initiative to assist businesses across Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public community and technical colleges, Workforce Development Boards and TEEX (Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service) can assist businesses who want to train their workforce. The Skills Development Fund pays for the training.
The Office of Employer Initiatives – Skills Development Fund Outreach and Project Development Team works with businesses and training providers to support application development and submission. The Skills Development Fund and Self-Sufficiency Fund Grants Team provides grant management support. If you have any questions, please send an email to Skills@twc.state.tx.us or reach out to a Regional Representative through the Skills Development Fund Outreach Team Map
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- SDF COVID-19 Special Initiative Funding Application with Overview
- SDF COVID-19 Special Initiative Business Application or
- SDF COVID-19 Special Initiative Training Request or
- SDF COVID-19 Special Initiative Course Descriptions or
- FAQ for COVID-19 Special Training Initiative
- Skills Development Fund Flyer
How to Apply
- Identify new or incumbent employees to be trained.
- Identify each employee’s job/occupational title and corresponding Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code. Employers may use the Texas AutoCoder to find the best match between job titles/descriptions and SOC-coded occupations.
- Identify employee's wages. Wages must meet or exceed prevailing wage for the area where the business is located.
- Identify the two-year public community or technical college nearest your location using the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s College Locator.
- Apply online in the upper right hand corner or complete and submit the application directly to TWC, by email: SkillsForSmallBusiness@twc.state.tx.us or fax: 512-463-7187.
- View the Skills for Small Business FAQ for additional information on completing and submitting applications to TWC .
For assistance, contact TWC's Workforce Business Services staff at 877-463-1777 or SkillsforSmallBusiness@twc.state.tx.us.
Governor's Small Business Forums
The Office of the Governor and TWC present a series of Governor's Small Business Forums statewide throughout the year. The forums inform the Texas entrepreneur and Texas small business community of challenges in starting, operating and growing a business while illuminating the many opportunities, tools, and resources available to the greater small business community. At the forums, TWC provides employers not only with information about the Skills for Small Business program, but also immediate access to the program's team of experts and contact information for their local college, TWC project developers and local workforce board leaders. Interested businesses work with a TWC project development specialist to complete applications during the forum. The Governor's Small Business Forums also showcase workforce board services, such as recruiting and hiring assistance, business development strategies, business tax credit information and labor market information.
Forms
Apply Online
Service
TWC Workforce Business Services Outreach & Customer Support Team
- Call: 877-463-1777
- Email: SkillsforSmallBusiness@
twc.state.tx.us