UPSKILL: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant Program
UPSKILL: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant Program supports New Jersey employers with frontline employee training to meet business skill needs, improve retention, and help workers advance their careers.
Funder: New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development
Due Dates: October 28, 2026 (Round 1 application) | November 9, 2026 (Round 1 review begins, expected) | January 8, 2027 (Round 2 LOI) | January 22, 2027 (Round 2 IGX registration) | February 24, 2027 (Round 2 application) | March 8, 2027 (Round 2 review begins, expected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $250,000 per applicant per round; up to 50% reimbursement; $7 million total; 12-month contracts
Summary: Supports frontline incumbent worker training that helps New Jersey businesses retain employees, advance careers, and meet occupational skill needs.
Key Information: Trainees must have worked full-time for their employer for at least six months; employers must retain them for six months after training.
Description
The UPSKILL: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant Program, administered by the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development (NJDOL), helps New Jersey employers train current frontline employees to retain employment or advance within their companies. It supports project-based training tied to specific business needs, measurable outcomes, and cost-effective delivery, with the goal of growing or stabilizing businesses and improving employee and employer competitiveness.
Supported formats include third-party classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and company in-house training. Expected outcomes include career-pathway skill attainment, pay increases, industry-valued credentials, professional licenses, and improved retention. Training should connect with long-range workforce and business or industry goals, rather than routine company-required annual training, new-employee onboarding, or orientation.
