LA VISTA, NEB. (July 14, 2005) - Governor Dave Heineman today promoted the Nebraska Customized Training Advantage Program that will provide training for Nebraskans employed by companies creating new jobs in Nebraska, and ensure that existing Nebraska employees are able to stay abreast of the skills needed by increasingly sophisticated high-tech companies.

Gov. Heineman visited PayPal in LaVista to convey the many job-creation incentives that the new Nebraska Advantage package offers business and industry, including the $15 million Nebraska Customized Training Advantage, initially proposed by Sen. Pat Engel, District 17.

The funding will be added to the existing Customized Job Training Program administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The funds are used to train Nebraskans for new jobs created by companies expanding or locating in Nebraska. Funding also can be used to retrain current employees for jobs, which, due to new processes or purchases of new technology or equipment, requires skill upgrades for productive work.

The Nebraska Advantage package was designed to create a business climate that makes Nebraska the preferred location for starting or growing businesses. Long-term goals of the package are to promote growth of existing companies through job retention, expansion, and new capital investments; increase the number of successful new business ventures in the state; foster the commercialization of new products and ideas; and recognize the different needs of Nebraska's diverse industries.

In addition to Job Training funds, the overall Nebraska Advantage package targets a wide-ranging list of businesses and industries for new benefits available to companies locating or expanding in Nebraska. It also provides sales tax exemptions for designated manufacturing machinery, equipment, and related services; tax credits equal to 3% for qualifying businesses conducting R&D activities; tax credits for businesses with five or fewer employees that create two new jobs and invest $125,000 in counties with less than 15,000 residents; and the classification of tele-workers as new employees.

Also incorporated into the Nebraska Advantage package is the Rural Development package with the Nebraska Agriculture Innovation Advantage and Building Entrepreneurial Communities.

“Each of these components will help keep Nebraska’s economy strong through greater investment in businesses of all sizes, and in the workforce of tomorrow,” Gov. Heineman said.

The Nebraska Department of Economic Development administers the Nebraska Advantage package.

For more info contact:

Richard Baier, 402-471-3747