Grants Glossary

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The definitions below pertain to funding opportunities for the State of Illinois.

For a glossary of terminology for the federal level, visit this page.
All A C E H I N O P R S T W Y Acronyms

  • Incumbent Worker Training

    Defined in WIOA as an individual who has an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more.  Incumbent Worker training can be used to meet the needs of an employer or group of employers to help avert potential layoffs of employees or obtain the skills necessary to retain employment, such as increasing the skill levels of employees so they can be promoted within the company and create backfill opportunities for new or less‐skilled employees.   Employers that receive these funds must match the cost of the training on the following sliding scale:

    • 10 percent for employers with less than 50 employees;
    • 25 percent for employers with 50‐99 employees;  
    • 50 percent for employers with more than 100 employees.
  • Intermediaries

    ​Hold responsibility for the administration of the program. They can also provide expertise such as curriculum development, classroom instruction and supportive services, as appropriate. Intermediaries include:

    • Educational institutions including two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions, technical schools, or eligible providers of adult education and literacy activities under Title II. In this model the educational institution administers the program, works with employers to hire participants and provides classroom or on-line instruction for the program;
    • Industry associations administer the program and work with employer/members and educational entities to implement the program; and,
    • Community based organizations administer the program and work with employers, educational entities and the community to implement the program.
    • Local Workforce Areas or qualified services providers that administer the program and are qualified to determine participant eligibility.
  • IWT

    Defined in WIOA as an individual who has an established employment history with the employer for 6 months or more.  Incumbent Worker training can be used to meet the needs of an employer or group of employers to help avert potential layoffs of employees or obtain the skills necessary to retain employment, such as increasing the skill levels of employees so they can be promoted within the company and create backfill opportunities for new or less‐skilled employees.   Employers that receive these funds must match the cost of the training on the following sliding scale:

    • 10 percent for employers with less than 50 employees;
    • 25 percent for employers with 50‐99 employees;  
    • 50 percent for employers with more than 100 employees.