If your company is looking to enhance the skills of your workforce, the U.S. Department of Labor may be able to assist you in paying for this training. Federal grant funds are now available to businesses in the following emerging industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Alternative Energy, Bio/Life Sciences, Business Services, Engineering, Food & Agriculture, Health Care (Including not-for-profit Health Care organizations), Information Technology, and Optics/Imaging. Finger Lakes Wired supports innovative approaches to education and workforce development that go beyond traditional strategies for preparing workers to compete and succeed both within the United States and globally. They are committed to providing training funds that will help businesses maintain their competitive edge and grow through improving the skills of their workforce. Businesses must be located in the nine-county Finger Lakes Region, which includes Genesse, Livingston, Orleans, Wyoming, Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties. Training must be completed by May 31, 2010 and should lead to the acquisition of industry-recognized certifications/credentials, supervisory and managerial skills training, process/productivity improvement, and/or in-demand technical and occupational skills. Businesses can apply for up to $25,000 in training funds, and cannot request funding under $1,000.

For more information, please go to www.FingerLakesWired.com.

To download and print an application or the application guidelines, click on the following link: http://www.fingerlakeswired.com/grants.aspx