The Montana Department of Commerce has a number of programs to help businesses and communities with economic development.

I appreciate this opportunity to remind you of a good workforce training
program that has funds available right now:

The Primary Workforce Training Grant Program is a program that will help
fund training costs for existing workers.
In this tough economy- improving the skills of the existing workforce can be
a key to a business maintaining and growing your business. Many times, your
business is only as good as your employees.

A few of the details of the program:

Business Eligibility

To be potentially eligible for a grant, an applicant shall demonstrate:
at least 50% of the applicant’s sales will be from outside of Montana or
that the applicant is a manufacturing company with 50% of its sales from
companies that have 50% of their sales outside of Montana, or be a business
that provides a product or a service that is not available in Montana or the
region which results in state residents leaving the state or region to
purchase the product or service;

In order for an eligible business to apply for a job training grant the
business shall also meet all of the following conditions:
Pay trainees at least the average wage for the area (state or county —
whichever is lowest). The value of employee benefits can be included in this
calculation. The current county/state average wage is located on the program
website and is compiled by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry as
the "Montana Average Wage by County – Annual Average – All Industries."
As of today the State of Montana average wage is $15.50.

The business is required to provide a cash match of $1 for every $3 of grant
funds used to train full time employees.

Details on the program can be found on the Commerce web site at:
http://www.mtfinanceonline.com/WorkForceGrnts.asp

I wish you all the best of luck in making Montana a better place to do
business; and in helping the businesses in your communities be successful.

Tod Kasten

MT Dept of Commerce

Regional Development Officer

406-485-3374