A $1 million Iron Range Resources Wage Subsidy Program which assists businesses headquartered within the Taconite Assistance Area in hiring new employees is now available through the Workforce Centers in Northeast Minnesota.

The program provides eligible businesses with a wage subsidy that amounts to the lesser of $5 per hour or 50 percent of an eligible employee’s wage for up to six months, or $5,000, whichever occurs first. As many as five employees can be hired through the program for any one business, for a total of up to $25,000.

Iron Range Resources is providing funding for the program, which will be administered through the Northeast Minnesota Workforce Centers in Virginia, Hibbing, Grand Rapids, and Aitkin and AEOA offices in Cook and Lake counties.

To be eligible, businesses must be headquartered within the Iron Range Resources’ Taconite Assistance Area for at least a year in the following industries: manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, finance and insurance, professional and technical services, and management of companies and enterprises. Businesses with employees currently on layoff status or on reduced hours are not eligible for the program.

The program was approved by the Iron Range Resources Board in June to support job growth within the Iron Range Resources service area. Businesses with employees on active layoff status or a reduced work schedule are not eligible. Priority will be given to eligible businesses with 25 or fewer employees that intend to add new full-time permanent positions.

Employers interested in applying for the program can obtain an application at a local Workforce Center or www.jobtrainingmn.org. Completed applications must be submitted by fax, mail or email to:

Aitkin Workforce Center, 321 Minnesota Avenue North: Kari Paulsen, 218-927-5623 Fax 218-927-5624, kpaulsen@charterinternet.com;

Hibbing Workforce Center, 3920 13th Avenue East: Bob Hocking, 218-262-6777 Fax 218-262-7316, rhocking@aeoa.org;

Grand Rapids Workforce Center, 1215 SE 2nd Avenue: Steve Walker, 218-327-6756 Fax 218-327-4179, rsteven.walker@state.mn.us;

Virginia Workforce Center, 820 N. 9th Street: Scott Thompson, 218-748-2278 Fax 218-748-2240, sthompson@aeoa.org;

Cook County, AEOA, 101 W. 5th Street, Grand Marais: Dawn Byholm, 218-387-1134 Fax 218-387-1327, ccaeoa@isd166.k12.mn.us;

Lake County, AEOA, 2124 10th Street, Two Harbors: Dawn Horne, 218-834-2280 Fax 218-834-5269, dhorne@aeoa.org.

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