PTRC workforce team outlines hiring and training grants available to Davidson County employers and government

At the May 1 meeting, Jacob Thompson, business services coordinator for Davidson County with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council’s (PTRC) Workforce Development Board, briefed commissioners on workforce programs that can help both private employers and local government departments fill and train staff.

Thompson said PTRC covers a 10-county footprint and provides consultative services to employers, including on-the-job training (OJT) wage reimbursement funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), incumbent worker training grants to cover third-party training costs (for example, CDL or CNA training), labor-market analyses and NCWorks job-posting assistance. He described an OJT wage-reimbursement example: employers can receive partial reimbursement of wages (for example, an illustrative $8 per hour reimbursement up to a defined maximum over a six-month period) for eligible trainees who meet WIOA eligibility criteria.

Michelle Slayton of PTRC (role: workforce staff) said incumbent worker grants typically require the employee to have been with the employer for six months and that PTRC maintains a roster of NCWorks-approved training providers; PTRC can help employers identify cost-sharing and training pathways to upskill incumbents and create entry-level openings that can be funded through OJT.

PTRC staff described mobile “NCWorks” units — vehicles equipped to help residents create resumes, enroll in services and apply for jobs — and offered to bring the mobile unit to Thomasville, Denton or local high schools to increase program visibility and outreach. Thompson said PTRC conducts rapid-response services for layoffs, convening community partners (community college, DSS, unemployment offices) and organizing job fairs.

Commissioners and county staff asked about funding amounts and county allocations. PTRC staff said some funding flows regionally and is allocated by need; they said the workforce board had not been forced to deny businesses for lack of funds in the recent past. Thompson said some new state direction is encouraging apprenticeships and that PTRC is exploring pairing WIOA funding with local apprenticeship efforts. Commissioners asked PTRC to provide a simplified brochure for local employers and to return with county-specific allocation numbers for planning.

Thompson and Slayton also noted outreach plans to local employer consortia (for example, the Davidson‑Davie Apprenticeship Consortium) and community-college partners to promote apprenticeship pathways, CDL and welding training, and next-step placements for program graduates.

County staff and commissioners expressed particular interest in using PTRC’s mobile unit to host resume workshops, job fairs and targeted outreach at high schools and community sites; PTRC offered quarterly or on-demand visits. Commissioners also flagged the need to coordinate with the county’s economic development and human-resources staff on recruitment and onboarding supports.

PTRC representatives committed to provide: a concise brochure describing employer-facing programs, county-level allocation figures, and follow-up engagement with local employer groups.