State will reimburse new employee wages during training

Hawaii’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is offering to reimburse up to 90 percent of the wages that businesses are paying to train new employees who were laid off from their last jobs. As part of the program, employers also may receive 50 percent to 90 percent of the wages paid to train new workers, the state said in a statement.

The money comes from $601,873 that Hawaii received from the U.S. Department of Labor for the two-year period from June 30, 2010, to June 30, 2012. The grant will provide training for up to 70 people for up to six months, officials said.

“On-the-job training programs are proven public-private strategies designed to encourage job growth through small businesses while also giving an opportunity for unemployed workers to gain new skills,” Workforce Development Division administrator Elaine Young said in a statement. “We urge employers to contact their local One-Stop Centers to see if this program might be a good fit for them.”