NH Works matches job seekers, employers with training opportunities, tax credits

LACONIA — The New Hampshire Department of Employment Security is much more than a typical unemployment office, and they’re helping people every day right here in the city.

Whether you’re seeking gainful employment, or you’re an employer looking for good labor, they’ve got you covered. Located at 426 Union Ave., if either of those circumstances apply to you, you’re welcome to walk right through the door.

But ensuring job seekers and employers are informed about opportunities available to them is another story. 

“Your smaller mom-and-pops, they don’t have the capacity” to spend time researching available programs, Michael Gianunzio, manager of the Laconia location, said in an interview.

Two big-ticket items can rapidly assist smaller businesses: the work investment program, and the work opportunity tax credit program. 

WorkInvestNH, formerly known as NH Job Training Fund, is available to businesses physically in New Hampshire or which intend to physically locate in the Granite State. The concept is relatively simple, but packs a big punch: a 1:1 match on jobs training.

Grant funding can be used for structured, onsite laboratory or classroom training, basic skills training, technical skills training, quality improvement, safety, management and supervision, English as a second language, or other training which enhances the state’s workforce development.  

To be eligible, a business must pay quarterly taxes into the NH Unemployment Trust Fund and be in compliance with state laws and regulations. Funds up to $70,000 can be approved by the department in-house — figures above that need the approval of the Governor’s Executive Council.

“It’s not limited to manufacturing,” Gianunzio said. 

“Every employer is training their people,” Gianunzio said. “That can be daunting to a company, to make that sort of investment.”

Participating in this sort of program can also mean hiring less often — job training helps increase employee retention, and show workers there’s a pathway for growth available at a given firm. In short, it can help create loyalty. Job seekers want to know they’ve got a pathway to advancement, Gianunzio said, and they want to feel their job is impactful, that it has meaning.

The application process for the program is relatively accessible, about three pages long.

“We’re here to support them through this process,” Gianunzio said. 

And making use of the program can be quite flexible — small companies spending money on training can structure it however they’d like, so long as it brings their employees measurable skills. For example, commercial driver license training for construction employees, or training for electricians or heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians.

“We’re trying to get in to let people know that we can help them to offset those costs,” said Kate LaPierre, assistant director. 

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit program can also benefit businesses by offsetting their tax burden to the tune of thousands of dollars per hire when they bring individuals onboard workers from certain demographics, such as military veterans, or those considered to be “at-risk," like people with a criminal history.

Those tax credits begin at $1,500, and can vary based on the amount the new hire is compensated in their first year. 

Though those programs could be a huge leg to lean on for a smaller business, they’re relatively unknown. That’s one of the biggest challenges faced by Gianunzio and LaPierre.

“Not everyone’s aware of it,” Gianunzio said. 

“That’s a very valuable program,” LaPierre said, of the tax credits.

At a job fair held earlier this year at Lakes Region Community College, none of the representatives of participating businesses had heard of it. For small- to medium-sized businesses, or those which operate seasonally, “every dollar helps,” Gianunzio said.

Another way NH Works can help a small business or job seeker is through their “job match system,” essentially an online job board. While national online job boards are inundated with fake or poorly formatted job listings, and businesses pay to “boost” their listing, the one hosted by New Hampshire Employment Security is free. Through the site, staff can help identify top candidates, and suggest them to hiring companies.

“It’s free, they don’t have to pay, and it’s vetted,” Gianunzio said. “Are you getting the results through your choice? If not, give us a try.”

To learn more, visit nhes.nh.gov.

For individuals seeking a job, the best thing to do is come into the office to open an employment claim. That’s the start of the pipeline, and they’ve got employment counselors ready to assist an individual “through every step.” Where does an applicant come from, and where do they want to go?

“If we can’t do something, we know someone who can,” LaPierre said.

They’ll even help anybody who needs it with their resume, or prepare for interviews, she said.

“Employment security is a hidden gem in the State of New Hampshire,” said Eliza Leadbeater, the former executive director of Belknap County Economic Development Council.

“I think we’re really building some momentum,” Gianunzio said.