AINSWORTH, NEB. (July 15, 2005) — Governor Dave Heineman today highlighted the Nebraska Customized Training Advantage Program that will provide training for Nebraskans employed by companies creating new jobs in Nebraska, and ensure existing Nebraska employees are able to stay abreast of skills needed by increasingly sophisticated high-tech companies.

Gov. Heineman was at Technologent in Ainsworth as part of his promotional tour to convey the many benefits that the new Nebraska Advantage package offers businesses and industries, including the $15 million Nebraska Customized Training Advantage, initially proposed by Senator Pat Engel, District 17.

“Job training is an essential component of this economic stimulus package,” Gov. Dave Heineman said. “In our efforts to encourage growth of existing businesses and bring new businesses to Nebraska, prospects for growth or relocation keep mentioning the attractiveness of training funds, and these funds will be spent at our community colleges, state colleges and universities – a win-win situation for our state.”

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. They also can be used to retrain current employees for jobs, which due to new processes or purchases of new technology or equipment, require skill upgrades for productive work.

"The State's incentive package was instrumental in Technologent's decision to expand in rural Nebraska. Since we opened in August 2003, we have added 58 new jobs and started a sister company, Your Selling Team,” said Tom Gallaway, president. “As we continue to grow both of these companies in Nebraska, we are very encouraged about Governor Heineman's announcement this week regarding the Nebraska Advantage Act."

The Nebraska Advantage package was designed to create a business climate that makes Nebraska the preferred location for starting or growing a business. The 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 funding, the overall Nebraska Advantage package targets a wide-ranging list of businesses and industries for new benefits available to companies expanding or choosing to locate 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 create two new jobs and invest $125,000 in counties with fewer than 15,000 residents; and the classification of tele-workers as new employees.

Also incorporated into the structure of 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