053-5 Wyo. Code R. §§ 5-4 - Business Internship Grants

(a) Applicant Eligibility Requirements

(i) Must be a Wyoming based business or Wyoming non-profit organization;

(ii) No governmental entity as described in W.S. § 1-39-103(a)(i) and (ii), or person employed by a governmental entity is eligible for business internship grants except Wyoming county and memorial hospitals as defined by W.S. § 18-8-101(a)(i), and emergency medical service providers; and,

(iii) Internship grants will be limited per state fiscal year by the following:

(A) Up to six (6) internships, based on demonstrated business need, ability to offer quality work experience for each intern, and meeting the satisfaction of DWS review panel; and

(B) Businesses in a Wyoming-based Registered Apprenticeship Program may be eligible for up to ten (10) internships, based on demonstrated business need, ability to offer quality work experience for each intern prior to becoming a registered apprentice, and meeting the satisfaction of DWS review panel. The hours and work experience obtained by the intern can then be applied towards apprenticeship requirements if they become a registered apprentice, after the internship is completed.

(b) Intern Eligibility Requirements

(i) Interns that qualify for Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act (WIOA) services (Public Law §113-128; 128 Stat. 1425) or qualify for vocational rehabilitation services (Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended by Title IV and VI of the WIOA, Public Law §93-112; Title 34, C.F.R. 361.48) through DWS are deemed to be not eligible for the WDTF Internship Grants.

(ii) Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA and the youth employment regulations as issued in 29 CFR, Part 570 , establishing both hours and occupational standards for youth, including the hazardous occupations shall be fully complied with. The FLSA rules can be reviewed at: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs43.pdf

(c) Applicant Compliance Requirements. For application consideration, the applicant must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Department, the following requirements:

(i) Registered and in good standing with the Wyoming Unemployment Insurance program;

(ii) Registered and in good standing with the Wyoming Workers' Compensation program;

(iii) Registered and in good standing with the Wyoming Secretary of State's office, if required; and

(iv) In good standing with the Workforce Development Training Fund (WDTF).

(d) Allowable Wage Reimbursement

(i) Grants will reimburse internship wages up to a maximum of twenty-five dollars ($25) per hour per internship. The proposed wage must be supported by state labor market information for the industry.

(ii) Internship grants will reimburse internship wages up to 1040 hours per internship.

(iii) Internships can be up to forty (40) hours per week.

(e) Non-allowable Reimbursements. The following list is not included in any reimbursement from this program and will be the sole responsibility of the business:

(i) fringe benefits;

(ii) bonuses;

(iii) overtime wages;

(iv) supplies and/or equipment; or

(v) travel expenses.

(f) Grant Application Process. Applications will be reviewed by DWS review panel in order of submission.

(i) Applicants shall complete the Internship Grant application provided by DWS, to include detailed information about the following:

(A) Describe, in detail, the internship opportunity, and include the following:

(I) Identify specific industry - preference will be given for preferred industries as defined in Section 3(d).

(II) List intern's job title and duties.

(III) List the skills, knowledge and abilities the intern will learn and/or be introduced to.

(IV) Provide the intern's work schedule - to include work hours, start date, end date, etc.

(V) Define the structured learning experience including competencies and how these skills will be documented.

(VI) Indicate any business partnerships with an educational institution, if applicable.

(VII) Wage reimbursement level requested to include supporting state labor market wage information for the industry.

(g) Grant Approval Process. Approval will be based on the following criteria:

(i) DWS will screen Internship Grant Applications for compliance with the requirements in Section 4(a) through (f) above.

(A) Applications that do not meet the requirements will be rejected.

(h) Contract and Payment

(i) If the grant is approved and funds are available, DWS shall enter into a contract with the applicant.

(ii) Grant funds shall be paid directly to the applicant either on a monthly basis, quarterly, or at the end of the internship/contract. Payment schedules will be individualized per business request on the application with the exception of the final payment. Final payments will be made once the internship is completed and the final report has been received and approved.

(iii) Grant programs must be operated on a cost reimbursement basis with the applicant submitting paystub(s) and contact information to ensure payments may be made in conformance with their contract.

(i) Reporting Requirements. An applicant who receives funds from this program shall submit reports, in formats approved by the Department and include the following:

(i) The applicant, in collaboration with the intern(s), shall submit a final report, within forty-five (45) days of completion, to DWS outlining the results of the internship:

(A) How the internship supported the business and improved efficiency or profitability of the business(es) or industry; and,

(B) Demonstrate and document how the structured learning experience increased the skill level of the intern.

(C) At a minimum, evaluations of pre-internship skills, mid- internship skills and final internship skills will be completed with the intern(s).

(j) Performance Standards

(i) Intern exit interviews will be completed at the end of the scheduled internship to include a review of the initial plan and measuring employment skills.

(ii) DWS will evaluate performance based on applicant's structured learning experience plans and final report.

(iii) Past performance, whether positive or negative, will be considered regarding future grant awards, and negative performance as determined by DWS may result in disapproval of the grant application until such time as the past negative performance can be explained and addressed for any pending application.

Notes

053-5 Wyo. Code R. §§ 5-4

Amended, Eff. 7/1/2020. Amended, Eff. 8/10/2022.