Yesterday, Rep. Pete Aguilar introduced his first piece of legislation, H.R. 2431, the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2015.  The bill creates a temporary tax credit to help small businesses pay for the cost of training new hires. This legislation addresses the “skills gap” that exists between job-seekers and open jobs that require specific or technical skills. This was a topic raised by employers during Rep. Aguilar’s Jobs Tour.

“Confronting the skills gap and empowering local employers to grow their workforce were a few of the biggest concerns I heard from employers and job-seekers during my Jobs Tour of the Inland Empire,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “This bill will enable local employers to hire more employees to support their businesses, while also equipping new employees with critical skills to help them succeed in our economy. This bill builds on successful programs we heard about during the Jobs Tour, like the San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board’s On-the-Job Training program.  I’m proud to introduce this legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see it through and to continue to put Inland Empire residents back to work.”

The On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act creates a new tax credit that employers with five hundred or fewer employees can claim to pay for half of the cost for training employees, covering up to $5,000 in training expenses per worker. It is set to begin in 2015 and run through 2017. The credit can be used to pay for apprenticeship programs, trainings offered by vocational or technical schools and community colleges, trainings offered by industrial or trade training organizations and labor unions, or industry-sponsored training programs. Expanding job training opportunities is one of Rep. Aguilar’s top priorities, which he included in his Jobs Plan that was released in April and can be read in full here. The text of the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit Act of 2015 can be viewed here.