This afternoon, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-31) took to the House floor to discuss his plans to support Inland Empire small businesses and increase hiring throughout San Bernardino County. Rep. Aguilar introduced his first piece of legislation yesterday, the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit of 2015, which creates a temporary tax credit for employers to use to help pay for training for new hires.

“Since taking office, my top priority has been to support policies that improve our economy and strengthen the Inland Empire’s middle class. Last month I released my Jobs Plan summarizing what I’ve heard from small business owners, job-seekers, and community leaders throughout San Bernardino County. One theme that came up in my discussions with employers was the need for more workforce training assistance – something this bill addresses,” said Rep. Aguilar.

He added, “The On-the-Job Training Tax Credit creates a temporary tax credit for employers to use to help pay for the cost of training new hires. This will help local owners expand their businesses and empower employees training through apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, community colleges, and more.  Job-seekers who have been locked out of today’s economy will be retrained and brought back into the fold in the Inland Empire’s economy. It’s time to retrain our workforce and build up the middle class, and this bill will help us do just that.”

Rep. Aguilar’s bill would create a new tax credit allowing employers with five hundred or fewer employees to pay for half of the cost (up to $5,000) for training new hires, beginning in 2015 and running through 2017. The tax credit would cover 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. Closing the skills gap and increasing job training opportunities was included in Rep. Aguilar’s Jobs Plan, which can be read here. The text of the On-the-Job Training Tax Credit of 2015 can be read here and today’s remarks can be viewed here.