EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University’s Center for Research and Economic Development (CFRED) is accepting applications for 2008-2009 Employee-Training Grants from the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA)/Wall Street West Initiative.  Funding for the WEDnetPA/Wall Street West Initiative is provided by a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The WEDnetPA/Wall Street West Initiative provides funding to qualified companies in the Financial and Insurance Industries as well as Technology companies that support them and are physically located in the nine-county Wall Street West service area: Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Luzerne, Lackawanna, Northampton, Lehigh, Berks, Carbon counties.  Companies may qualify for a maximum grant of $25,000.

Funding is available for training eligible employees in areas such as; Basic Skills up to $450 per employee, Basic Skills Industry recognized Certifications up to $900 per employee, Information Technology training up to $1,200 per employee, and us much as $2,400 per employee in Informational Technology Industry recognized Certification Training.  There will also be the opportunity for Upper-level Management Training reimbursement of up to $1,000 per eligible employee.  CFRED will be accepting applications for WEDnetPA/Wall Street West funding through July 7, 2008.  Grants will be awarded at the end of August for fiscal year July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009.

“The WIRED WEDnet funding will enhance our ability to serve the training needs of the financial services industries including a new upper management training incentive pilot program,” said Miguel Barbosa, director of workforce development at ESU.  “WIRED WEDnetPA funding will also support industry recognized basic skill certifications such as insurance, securities, Series 6, 7, 24 and IT certifications such as Microsoft, CISCO, and information security,” Barbosa added.  “The Wall Street West grant supports WEDnetPA’s mission to build and strengthen employee productivity in Pennsylvania’s workforce by supporting training that will put employees on a path to higher performance.”