EMPLOYERS
At Southwest Training Services, Inc., we are eager to help local employers attract and retain workers. If you have positions to fill, please call or stop by to find out how we can help you.
Services for employers include:
- Recruitment from a diverse pool of job-ready candidates;Whether you are a small business or large company we can help you attract and retain good employees while avoiding the high cost of employee turnover.
- Assessment (screening and testing) of applicants
- Assistance with registration into the on-line PA CareerLink system
- Information about the state’s Rapid Response program for employers anticipating layoffs;
- Information about subsidized training and employer tax credits.
- On-the-job training
Rapid Response:
If your company is anticipating a layoff, the Governor’s office and local officials have developed a system to assist workers in finding new jobs or obtaining training for new careers.
The Rapid Response team will work with you, the employer, to customize a program of services to meet the needs of your company’s affected workforce. Information on job search assistance, employment and/or training opportunities, financial planning, enrollment into the PA CareerLink system, etc. will be made available.
Employers should contact the Rapid Response team as soon as possible is a layoff is anticipated. The regional Rapid Response representative for the Southwest Corner of Pennsylvania is Chester Lampman clampman@pa.gov
Tax Credits and Incentives:
Southwest Training Services, Inc. can help employers access a range of state and federal tax credit and incentive programs, including:
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), created by the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996 and extended by the Small Business and Work Opportunity Act of 2007, is available to employers who hire persons who have been deemed to have barriers to employment. This tax credit is in effect for new hires starting before September 1, 2011. New hires must work a minimum of 120 hours.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created two new target groups for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit: disconnected youths; and unemployed veterans. To accommodate these new target groups, the two forms that employers must submit to request this tax credit, the IRS Form 8850 and the ETA 9061, as well as the instructions for the IRS Form 8850, have recently been revised. CLICK HERE for a flyer of information concerning the WOTC.
The Disabled Access Tax Credit (Title 26, IRS Code, Section 44)
The Disabled Access Tax Credit (Title 26, IRS Code, Section 44) is available to small businesses that employ persons with disabilities and incur expenditures to comply with the American Disabilities Act. To be eligible, the business must have either $1 million or less in gross receipts for the preceding tax year; or 30 or fewer full time employees during the preceding tax year.
The tax credit covers 50% of “eligible access expenditures” that exceed $250, but do not exceed $10,250 for a taxable year, including: removal of architectural, communication, physical, or transportation barriers that prevent a business from being accessible to, or usable by, individuals with disabilities; provision of qualified readers, taped texts, and other effective methods of making materials accessible to people with visual impairments; provision of qualified interpreters or other effective methods of making orally delivered materials available to individuals with hearing impairments; and acquisition or modification of equipment or devices for individuals with disabilities, or provision of other similar services, modifications, materials, or equipment.
TESTIMONIALS
Our partnership with Southwest Training Services, Inc. has been an excellent business opportunity. While working with their knowledgeable staff, we launched a new recruitment assessment process. This method proved to be both effective and productive since it enabled us to place the right candidate in the right job while simultaneously lowering our turnover rate. Southwest Training Services, Inc. has consistently been there for us from initial advertising to the new hire’s first day on the job. Most recently, SWTS introduced us to cost-cutting programs that allowed us to receive tax credits for our training programs. Because of their direct and positive impact in helping us to meet our business needs, we plan to continue working with Southwest Training Services, Inc. staff and all of the other partner agencies at the PA CareerLink Washington County. Thanks again.
Western Area CTC has always tried to use this valuable program. On-the-job training really off-sets training costs for companies throughout Washington County. I truly appreciate this benefit and hope that I will be able to use it in the future.
Southwest Training Services is an excellent partner for training new employees. We were able to structure a training program around our company’s needs and SWTS was able to reimburse 50% of those training costs. We will definitely work with SWTS on training new employees every change we get.
One of our company’s divisions is involved in a fairly specialized industrial maintenance project where we are constantly facing the challenge of filling open positions with skilled workers. Southwest Training Services was able to provide us with pre-screened applicants that had the potential to join our team. The financial incentives provided by Southwest Training Services allowed us to hire the employees at a reduced cost to us and provide them with on-the-job training to enable them to learn the skills necessary to become productive employees.
I have had the pleasure of working with Southwest Training, Inc. for the past 6 months. The program has been financially beneficial to our organization and also added to a higher retention rate for the individuals we have hired through the program. Also, working with the members of the team has been a very positive experience. Most of my interaction has been with Rachel Rotolo and she is willing to do whatever it takes to assure our needs and goals are satisfied.
Hussey Copper was able to continue to meet customer demands and provide quality products by utilizing the programs and services at Southwest Training Services in Washington, PA. They were able to help us attract and retain top quality talent by helping us assess candidates, subsidize training, and provide on-the-job training that was critical to our business needs.