Grant may help employers pay for new hires
Employers in nine eastern North Carolina counties may be eligible to be reimbursed for new hires under a federal grant through the Employment Security Commission.
Joy Hudson, who works at the ESC office in New Bern, told those gathered for the Havelock Chamber of Commerce luncheon that the On the Job Training Grant makes a lot of sense.
"It’s a win-win for both the employer and the person getting the job," Hudson said. "They get a full-time job and benefits, and you can get reimbursed for it."
Hudson said the program can reimburse an employer up to 90 percent of a new hire’s salary for anywhere from one to six months, depending on the job.
The new hire must meet certain qualifications, such as being unemployed for at least 19 weeks.
However, Hudson told those attending the luncheon that the ESC does not play a role in determining who an employer hires.
"It gives you the chance to hire who you want," she said. "We can send you some people, but you hire who you want and then we determine the qualifications.
"You can’t lose. We want the person to work out. We want you to hire somebody you’re comfortable with."
Hudson said ESC personnel do monitor the employee’s progress to make sure the employer is satisfied with the work and progress of the new hire.
"We try to intervene before you have a problem," she said. "If it does not work out, you don’t have to pay the money back. Our goal is for this person to become a permanent employee who gets all the benefits as a regular employee."
Hudson said the ESC office learned it had received the grant in November.
"We have a lot of money to spend, and we want to spend it," she said of the program.
The unemployment rate in Craven County is 9.8 percent, while Carteret County is at 8.6 percent, according to the latest statistics from the ESC, released this week. Both counties are covered under the grant program.
Statewide, unemployment is at 9.8 percent, while nationally, the unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, according to the ESC.
Hudson said the ESC office offers a variety of services, including use of computers, and fax and copying services for free. She said the ESC includes a unit for veterans, and also partners with vocational rehabilitation and Coastal Community Action.
"We’re known as the unemployment office, but we’re not just the unemployment office," she said. "We help people with their benefits, but our main thing is to get people back to work. We need you to help us do what we do, and what we want to do is help people find jobs."
The Craven County Employment Security Commission office is located at 2836 Neuse Blvd., in New Bern. The office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone number is 514-4828 or it can be reached by e-mail at esc.jobs.newbern@ncesc.gov.
