AVI STEINHARDT/Courier-Post
SWEMCO Vice President Richard P. Szczepkowski (left) leads Douglas Placa, chief of staff for the state Department of Labor, and Lewis Nagy, Burlington County College's director of Business & Workforce Development, on a tour of SWEMCO's production floor Wednesday. The Moorestown firm received a state training grant of $109,584.
|
State disburses funds to assist employers in training workers
By EILEEN STILWELL
Courier-Post Staff
MOORESTOWN
Dozens of South Jersey companies are getting richer and smarter as a result of almost $17 million in training grants distributed this year by the New Jersey Department of Labor.
SWEMCO, a family-owned contract manufacturer here walked away Wednesday with a $109,584 grant to train potential and new employees. The only string is the company must meet the grant with at least 40 percent of its own money. SWEMCO will contribute $73,597 to keep its 71 employees current. "It's absolutely great. We're able to offer courses in lean manufacturing, soldering and inspection on company time. Everybody benefits," said Richard P. Szczepkowski, vice president of SWEMCO.
All told, the state has given nearly $17 million to 129 companies statewide this fiscal year, ending June 30, from unused funds in the state Unemployment Compensation Fund. Despite a rocky economy, New Jersey has added 37,500 jobs this year, leaving a hefty surplus in the fund, according to the state Labor Department.
Camden County Freeholder Louis Cappelli said a $524,800 training grant to Baxter Healthcare helped keep the pharmaceutical company and its approximately 900 workers in Cherry Hill.
Camden County College will bring instructors to Baxter Healthcare beginning in January.
"This grant program is a serious economic development tool. It also helped us retain Towers Perrin in the county, instead of moving to Philadelphia," Cappelli said.
Formerly owned by Wyeth Ayerst-ESI, Baxter is now a division of Baxter International of Deerfield, Ill.
"This should benefit all of our employees who will get additional training in computer, manufacturing practices and microbiology," said Jennifer Grace, a human resources trainer for Baxter.
Meanwhile, Camden County is about to lose most of American Residential Mortgage Co., another grant recipient, to a new, 35,000-square-foot facility on Gaither Drive in Mount Laurel. The company will use its $745,000 state grant to train about 200 new hires within the next two years and to retrain some existing employees. About 220 employees are expected to move into the new corporate headquarters in January. Fifty others will remain in two Cherry Hill locations, said Jack G. Mondel, chairman of the board.