CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday that would create a program to help small business owners pay for upskill training for their workers.
House Bill 4004 is called the Recharge West Virginia Act where businesses could apply for reimbursement of $10,000 for qualifying employee with a limit of $50,000 a year.
The program would “reimburse a qualifying employer for the costs of providing upskilling training to an eligible employee who obtains an upskill credential and receives a qualifying wage increase.”
Supporters said during Wednesday’s debate the bill will help small business owners who need to fill positions with existing workers but can’t afford the training.
“It closes the skills gap,” Del. Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said. “it keeps talent in West Virginia, which is our biggest export right now.”
Riley said the bill also prioritizes regions with economic distress.
“We need something. It may not be perfect,” Riley said. “We’re hitting a lot of singles. I think this may be a double, maybe a triple.”
The bill includes accountability for employers and employees,” Riley said.
Del. Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, said the bill it’s the boost some small business owners need.
“They just can’t throw out $50,000, take five employees and send them to $10,000 welding school,” Worrell said. “This program could help them do so.”
The bill requires those who take advantage of the program to invest their own money to raise the wages of the upskilled workers.
“They are going to invest their money in the 25 percent increase in wages, that’s not taxpayer money that’s private company money, and then once again they are going to backfill that (original) position spending their money to pay employees,” Worrell said.
Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, a small business owner, also applauded the bill.
“We do a lot of things trying to hit economic development homeruns in West Virginia and we’ve hit some of them but this one of the first tailor-made bills for our small businesses,” Linville said.
Money would have to be allocated in the state budget to finance the program.
The bill is going to the Senate after passing the House 86-7.