Delaware
DE
Incumbent Worker Training
the Delaware Workforce Development Board
the Delaware Workforce Development Board policy manual and Policy 2016003
source
10% to 50%
minimum employer share under federal rules, set by company size
5+
employees per training request in the state's policy
Board vote
every incumbent worker training contract needs board approval
Confirming
Delaware's current rates, caps and trainer rules
Program structure checked against the Delaware Workforce Development Board policy manual and Policy 2016003 on September 25, 2026. Current rates, caps and trainer rules are being confirmed with the board.
Four things to confirm. | Then we check the numbers with the board.
Delaware runs incumbent worker training through its Workforce Development Board, and every contract needs board approval. Send the form and we will confirm the basics on a short call, pick the course, and get the board's current rates and caps before we put a number on your project.
  • Your business operates in Delaware and the people you would train are your current employees
  • You can put a group of about 5 employees into the request, which is the starting point in the state's policy
  • You can show why the training matters: keeping skills current, keeping people employed, or avoiding layoffs
  • You are willing to wait for board approval before any training starts
Federal WIOA rules, which Delaware's policy cites, set the employer's minimum share of the cost by company size: 10% for 50 or fewer employees, 25% for 51 to 100, and 50% above 100. Wages you pay during training count toward that share. Delaware's own rates and caps are what we are confirming.
Company size sets your minimum share of the cost under the federal rules Delaware follows. We confirm the board's current rates and caps before we quote anything.
In Delaware, the math depends on terms we are confirming. Under the federal share rules the state's policy cites, the most public money could cover on a $3,000 seat is $2,700 for an employer with 50 or fewer staff, $2,250 for 51 to 100, and $1,500 above 100. Wages paid during training count toward your share. We will not quote a figure until the board confirms its current terms.
Every contract needs board approval
Delaware decides incumbent worker training request by request. Start with the eligibility check, and we will bring back the board's current terms before you commit.
Delaware · Incumbent Worker Training

Delaware AI Training Grants: Incumbent Worker Training, Terms Being Confirmed

Delaware's Workforce Development Board funds training for people you already employ through its Incumbent Worker Training policy. The employer shares the cost, and the wages you pay during training count toward your share. We have not yet confirmed Delaware's current reimbursement rates and per-trainee caps at the source, so this page does not quote them. Send the form and we will tell you what we know today.

Check my eligibilitySee how the money works
Up to 100%of course cost reimbursed
$3,000per employee, per course
$15,000per company, per calendar year
10 hrslive, instructor-led training

Program terms checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026.

15 minute eligibility check

Six things have to be true. We check them with you.

The Express Program is simple once you know you qualify. Send the form and we will confirm each point on a short call, pick the course, and set a start date that clears the 21-day filing rule.

  • You have 100 or fewer Massachusetts W-2 employees
  • You have a physical Massachusetts location, owned or leased
  • Trainees are W-2 employees who work in Massachusetts (not owners, 1099 contractors or temps)
  • Your three state documents are current
  • No trainee has had the same or similar funded training in the last five years
  • Training happens on paid time, at regular wages
Over 100 employees? The General Program funds $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match. Use the same form and we will route you.

See if your team qualifies

Takes about a minute. We reply within one business day.

With more than 100 Massachusetts employees, Express will not fit, but the General Program can: $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match, and wages paid during training count toward it. Send the form and we will walk you through that route.

No cost and no obligation. Help with the application is free, and you file it. Approval is decided by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed.

✓

Got it. You are on our list.

We will email you within one business day to set up the 15 minute call. A checklist is on its way to your inbox now. Want to skip the back and forth?

Pick a time now
Local view

How Delaware pays for AI training, in plain terms

Delaware funds training for current employees with federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act money managed by the Delaware Workforce Development Board and the Department of Labor's Division of Employment and Training. The board's funding guidelines let it set aside up to 20% of its adult and dislocated worker funds for incumbent worker training, and every contract needs approval from the board or its executive committee.

The program is a cost share. The state's Incumbent Worker Training policy (Policy 2016003) says the employer contributes under the federal rule that ties the employer's share to company size, and that wages paid to workers while they attend training count as part of that contribution. For a small business, that structure matters: state training money lets small and mid-sized businesses train staff to automate repetitive work and compete with larger, better-funded competitors.

The policy describes incumbent worker training as training that helps an employer keep a skilled workforce or avoid layoffs by giving workers the skills they need to stay employed. Live AI training for your office, finance, field or operations staff is a reasonable fit for that purpose, and the board decides each request.

What we have not confirmed is the detail. The board's current policy manual lists an Incumbent Worker Training policy, but we could not read its rate and cap terms at the source, and we have not confirmed how the board treats a trainer based outside Delaware. We check those points with the board before you apply, and this page will carry the figures once we can stand behind them.

Region
Statewide
Who runs the grant
Delaware Workforce Development Board, Delaware Department of Labor
Check my eligibility
Use cases

What a trained team automates first

Training is the starting line. These are the repetitive jobs small and mid-size businesses take off their people's plates once the team knows how to direct AI and check its work.

The edge the big players already have

Private equity backed competitors are buying up trades, practices and service businesses and running them on centralized software with a back-office team behind it. An independent business does not need that overhead to match them. A trained staff plus a handful of well-chosen automations gives a regular small business a true technological edge: faster answers, tighter books, cleaner data, and owners who get their evenings back.

End-of-day bookkeeping and reconciliation

Daily sales, deposits and card batches matched against the books every night. Entries are drafted, exceptions are flagged, and a person only reviews what does not tie out.

An AI receptionist that books the appointment

Calls answered after hours and during the rush. It takes the details, books straight into your calendar, texts a confirmation, and hands off to a person when the call needs one.

A CRM that fills itself in

Calls, web forms, emails and your job or practice software feed contact records, notes and next steps automatically. No more end-of-week data entry, and no more leads that never got logged.

Reports that build themselves

The weekly numbers pulled from your systems, written up in plain language and in your inbox Monday morning. Revenue, jobs, margins, pipeline, cash. Nobody assembles a spreadsheet.

Estimates and proposals in minutes

Site notes, photos, measurements or an intake call turned into a priced draft in your own template. Your estimator reviews and sends instead of starting from a blank page.

Invoicing and collections follow-up

Invoices go out when the job closes. Reminders go out on schedule, in your voice. An aging summary tells you each week who needs a phone call.

Scheduling and dispatch

Requests sorted by urgency, location and skill. Crews and customers notified automatically, with reschedules handled without six phone calls.

Document intake and data entry

Vendor bills, certificates of insurance, applications, permits and forms read and keyed into your system, with anything unclear routed to a person.

Reviews, follow-ups and repeat business

A check-in after every job, a review request when the customer is happy, a reply drafted for every review, and a reminder when it is time for the next service.

What this looks like in your industry

Same skills, different paperwork. Pick yours.

Construction and general contractors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Bid packages: takeoff notes and sub quotes assembled into a proposal in your format
  • Change orders: written up from a voice note on site, priced, and sent for signature the same day
  • Daily logs: crew texts and photos turned into a dated job report
  • Sub compliance: certificates of insurance and lien waivers tracked, with renewals chased automatically
  • Job costing: receipts and timesheets coded to the right job and phase every night
  • Owner updates: a weekly progress summary drafted from the logs

Roofing, siding and exteriors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Storm response: every call answered and every inspection booked when the phones spike
  • Estimates: measurements and inspection photos turned into a good, better, best proposal
  • Insurance paperwork: claim documentation and supplements drafted from the inspection file
  • Material orders: built from the signed scope and sent to the supplier
  • Production schedule: crews, deliveries and weather holds kept in sync, with customers notified
  • Warranty and reviews: registration, follow-up and review requests after final payment

HVAC, plumbing and electrical

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • After-hours calls: emergencies triaged and dispatched, routine calls booked for the morning
  • Dispatch: jobs matched to the right tech by skill, location and parts on the truck
  • Maintenance plans: renewals, tune-up reminders and booking handled without office time
  • Quotes on site: options priced from the tech's notes before they leave the driveway
  • Invoices: created from the completed work order and sent the same day
  • Parts and inventory: usage logged from work orders, with reorder lists each week

Law, accounting and advisory firms

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices, or AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

  • Client intake: inquiries summarized, conflicts and fit checked, and the consult booked
  • Document requests: the checklist sent, reminders chased, and what arrives filed to the right matter
  • First drafts: engagement letters, routine correspondence and summaries in the firm's voice
  • Time capture: entries drafted from calendars, emails and documents for review
  • Month-end and tax season: client books reconciled and workpapers prepared faster
  • Billing: invoices, reminders and an aging report without a partner chasing it

Medical, dental and wellness offices

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices

  • Phones: scheduling, reschedules and common questions handled without putting patients on hold
  • Recall and reminders: overdue patients contacted and open slots filled from the waitlist
  • Front desk paperwork: forms and insurance details read and entered ahead of the visit
  • Billing follow-up: statements, balance reminders and payment plan messages on schedule
  • Staff documents: policies, training checklists and schedules drafted and kept current
  • Reviews: requests sent after visits, with replies drafted for approval

Restaurants and hospitality

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Nightly close: POS sales, tips, deposits and delivery payouts reconciled and booked
  • Phones: reservations, hours and catering inquiries answered during service
  • Ordering: vendor order sheets built from sales and par levels
  • Scheduling: a draft schedule from the forecast, availability and labor targets
  • Catering and events: proposals and follow-ups out within the hour
  • Reviews and social: replies drafted and weekly posts prepared from the specials

Manufacturing and distribution

Usual course fit: Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

  • Order entry: emailed and PDF purchase orders read and keyed into your system
  • Production reporting: shift counts and scrap turned into a daily report by line
  • Quality paperwork: certs and inspection records assembled for each shipment
  • Quoting: RFQs priced from your history and routed for approval
  • Inventory: reorder points watched, with purchase suggestions every week
  • Customer updates: order status and ship dates sent without a phone call

Property management and real estate

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Maintenance requests: logged, triaged and dispatched to the right vendor
  • Leasing inquiries: answered at any hour, with showings booked
  • Rent and owner reporting: ledgers reconciled and monthly owner statements drafted
  • Renewals: notices, reminders and paperwork on a schedule
  • Vendor paperwork: insurance certificates and W-9s collected and tracked
  • Listings: descriptions and follow-ups written from the unit details

One thing to keep straight: the Workforce Training Fund pays for the training, not for building these systems. Your trained team can run many of them with tools you already own. When you want one built properly and built fast, that is the work JMK Ventures does, and it starts with a free audit.

Check my eligibility Map my automations (free audit)
How the money works

One state program. The employer shares the cost, and the board approves each contract.

Incumbent Worker Training

Run by the Delaware Workforce Development Board with the Department of Labor's Division of Employment and Training, using federal WIOA funds.

  • Up to 20% of adult and dislocated worker funds can be set aside for incumbent worker training
  • Every contract needs board or executive committee approval
  • The employer pays a share of the cost, set by company size under federal rules: at least 10% for 50 or fewer employees, 25% for 51 to 100, 50% above 100
  • Wages paid to workers during training count toward the employer's share
  • The state's policy starts from at least 5 employees per request

What we are confirming with the board

  • The current reimbursement rates and any per-trainee or per-company caps
  • Whether a trainer based outside Delaware can deliver the training
  • Application timing and how reimbursement is paid

The example

A 20-person company sends 5 people through one course. Tuition is $15,000. Under federal rules that company has to cover at least 10% of the cost, so the most public money could pay is $13,500, and the wages paid during training can count toward the company's share. What Delaware actually pays depends on the board's current terms and on approval, which is why we confirm before we quote.

Delaware's current incumbent worker training rates, per-trainee caps and trainer rules have not been confirmed at the source. The board's policy manual lists the policy, but we could not read its terms. We are confirming them with the Delaware Workforce Development Board before quoting any number.
The courses

Five live AI courses. $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum.

Every course is 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, built around the work your people already do. The price is $300 an hour, so $3,000 per trainee, with a two-seat minimum per cohort. In Massachusetts, $300 an hour is the state's hourly cap, and five seats equals $15,000 in tuition, which is the annual Express cap, so up to the full amount can come back if your application is approved.

COURSE 01

AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

For a mixed group: managers, admins, customer service and the bookkeeper learning the same practical skills together.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 02

Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

The technical option, for whoever lives in spreadsheets, exports and recurring reports.

2.5 hrs x 4 weeksUp to 6 trainees
COURSE 03

AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

For the people who close the month, run payroll and chase receivables.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 04

AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

For contractors and home services: estimating, dispatch, job documentation and customer follow-up.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 05

AI for Professional Practices

For law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices that run on documents and deadlines.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees

Not sure which one fits?

Tell us who you would send and what each person does. We will tell you where we would put them.

Check my eligibility
Course fit

Picking the right course for your Delaware team

The five courses are the same in every state: 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum. Start with who will be in the room. A mixed group of managers, admins and customer-facing staff belongs in AI Enablement for Small Business Teams. If the pressure is in the back office, AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams is built for the people who close the month and run payroll.

Contractors, home services and any crew-based business should look at AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses. Law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices fit AI for Professional Practices. And if you have someone who lives in spreadsheets, exports and reports, Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams is the technical option, with a smaller cohort of up to 6.

Delaware's policy starts from a group of at least 5 employees per request, so plan a cohort of 5 to 8, or 5 to 6 for Claude Code. The course choice does not depend on the board's rates, so you can pick the room now.

How it works

Four steps from form to reimbursement

1. Confirm and pick

A 15 minute call to confirm you are a Delaware employer, choose the course, and choose the 5 or more employees who would attend.

2. We check the board's terms

We confirm with the Delaware Workforce Development Board what it is funding now, at what share, with what caps, and whether our trainer can deliver in Delaware. You get a plain yes, no, or not yet.

3. Request, approval, then training

The request goes to the Department of Labor and needs board or executive committee approval. Once the contract is approved, your team takes 10 hours of live, instructor-led training over 4 to 5 weeks. You pay the course invoice.

4. Get reimbursed

The state pays its share after the training, on the terms in your contract. We confirm the paperwork the board asks for before you start, so nothing is missing at the end.

Read this before you budget

The grant pays for training. Not for the build.

What the program is for

  • Training for employees you already have, to keep skills current and people employed
  • A shared cost: the employer pays a share set by company size, and wages paid during training count toward it
  • Live, instructor-led courses, subject to the board's approval of the contract

What it is not for

  • Consulting, implementation and work on your own systems
  • Software subscriptions and AI tool licenses for the business
  • Anything the board has not approved in advance

Plan your AI rollout as two budgets: training through the board, and implementation as its own project. Our free AI capability audit maps the second one.

Local questions

Questions we hear from employers here

Does Delaware pay for AI training?

Delaware funds training for current employees through its Workforce Development Board's Incumbent Worker Training policy, and live AI training can fit its purpose of keeping workers' skills current. Every contract needs board approval, and we are confirming the board's current rates and caps before quoting a number.

How much of the cost comes back?

We have not confirmed Delaware's current rates, so we do not quote one. Under the federal rules Delaware's policy cites, the employer covers at least 10% with 50 or fewer employees, 25% with 51 to 100, and 50% above 100. On a 5-person, $15,000 class at a 20-person company, the most public money could cover is $13,500. The real figure depends on the board's terms and approval.

Who qualifies as an employer?

A business operating in Delaware that can show the training helps it keep a skilled workforce or avoid layoffs. The state's policy has the Department of Labor weigh the training's link to your competitiveness, any wage or benefit gains, and your need. We confirm the full eligibility list with the board.

Who counts as a trainee?

Your current employees. Incumbent worker training is for people already on your payroll, not new hires or 1099 contractors. Delaware's specific rules on full-time status and length of employment are among the terms we are confirming.

How many people do we need?

Plan on at least 5. The state's policy names 5 employees as the starting point for a request, and notes the number may need to be higher for a trainer to run a cohort. Our cohorts run up to 8, or up to 6 for Claude Code.

Can we use a trainer from outside Delaware?

Not confirmed. Our trainer is based in Massachusetts, and we have not yet confirmed how the board treats an out-of-state trainer for incumbent worker training. We check this with the board before you apply and tell you plainly.

Does the program pay wages during training?

No, but wages count. You keep paying your employees while they train, and under the state's policy those wages count toward your share of the cost.

When do we apply, and how long does approval take?

Before any training starts. Each contract needs approval from the board or its executive committee, so build in time for that step. We confirm the current timeline with the board on your behalf.

How is the money paid back?

After the training, on the terms of your approved contract. You pay the course invoice first. We confirm the records the board needs, such as attendance and invoices, before you start.

Does the grant pay for AI software or for building automations?

No. Incumbent worker training pays for training. Software, consulting and implementation come out of your own budget. Our free AI capability audit is where that conversation starts.

Is funding available now?

The board can set aside up to 20% of its adult and dislocated worker funds for incumbent worker training, but we have not confirmed how much is available this year. We ask the board before you plan around an award.

What is the first step?

Send the form. We confirm you are a Delaware employer with a group of about 5, pick the course, and get the board's current terms before anything is filed.

Where we work

Five New England states, and a local page for every major Massachusetts city

Each state runs its own training grant with its own rules, so each state has its own page. Massachusetts also gets a page per city, because the program is the same statewide but the businesses are not.

By state
Massachusetts cities
This year's $15,000 does not roll over

Fifteen minutes tells you if the state will cover your team's AI training.

The cap resets each calendar year and the application has to be in 21 days before the course starts. Start with the eligibility check.

Check my eligibility See the five courses
No cost, no obligationApplication help is freeYou pay first, then get reimbursed

Courses are delivered by Support Forge, a registered Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Express Program training provider based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. JMK Ventures offers these courses as a Support Forge partner and may be compensated when you enroll. Neither company is affiliated with or endorsed by Commonwealth Corporation or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Commonwealth Corporation does not endorse the quality of any listed training provider. Reimbursement depends on your application being approved by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed. Program terms were checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026 and can change.