Two Idaho Falls firms and a Rathdrum company have a commitment from the Idaho Department of Labor for Workforce Development Training Funds to upgrade the skills of 75 workers.
RFinity, an Idaho National Laboratory spinoff in encrypting electronic communications, plans to use $110,000 to train 55 workers for jobs paying an average of over $24 an hour.
Misko, a materials testing and inspection firm in Idaho Falls plans to use $10,000 to train five more workers for jobs that pay $15.50 an hour.
And Heatercraft, a Rathdrum company making heating equipment for boats, RVs, ORVs and other equipment, plans to use $41,000 to retrain up to 15 workers so they can move to production of steel containers for the military, a move to diversify the operation.
“It’s heartening to see Idaho companies looking at expansion even in these difficult times,” Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen said. “Their optimism about the future bodes well for Idaho.”
The Workforce Development Training Fund is financed by Idaho employers through a 3 percent set-aside from their unemployment insurance taxes. Since its inception in 1996, the fund has been used to train more than 20,000 workers in over 75 companies. The fund provides training support in the amount of $2,000 per new worker in urban areas and $3,000 per worker in rural communities.