State offers $1.6 million to companies for job training

The Job Training Incentive Program Board approved $1,628,287 of funding in February to assist eight New Mexico companies in the training of 94 employees, New Mexico Economic Development Department Acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper announced Thursday.

The Job Training Incentive Program makes the monthly allocations so businesses can expand and hire locally. Companies are reimbursed a percentage of training costs for new and current employees and interns. In February, grant awards were made to businesses in Albuquerque, Corrales, Las Cruces, Moriarty and Santa Fe.

“Business owners throughout New Mexico are continuing to utilize JTIP as a tool for hiring and upskilling their workforce,” Roper said. “This program becomes more vital in a tight labor market when we need to invest in and support our current workers so they can learn new skills, earn a higher wage and remain in New Mexico.”

The February awards will assist up to 94 total employees — 56 new trainees and 38 current employees with wages averaging $24.25-$58.47.

Among the eight companies awarded was Adelante Consulting in Corrales.

Adelante Consulting received funding for one trainee with an hourly wage of $33.68 for a total award of $20,514.96. Adelante Consulting assists municipal and tribal entities in obtaining grant monies to execute decarbonization and economic development projects. They also work on feasibility studies and project development for public and private clients.

JTIP grants were also awarded to the following seven New Mexico companies in February:

• BlueHalo LLC (Albuquerque): 18 trainees with an hourly average wage of $58.47, for a total award of $571,030. BlueHalo is a national security platform with capabilities spanning space superiority, directed energy, missile defense, C4ISR, cyber, and intelligence.
• Kairos Power (Albuquerque): 29 trainees with an hourly average wage of $54.31 for a total award of $840,058. Kairos Power is an advanced energy technology and engineering company launched out of a broad research effort at U.S. universities and national laboratories. The company is focused on the development of clean, innovative nuclear technology.
• Parting Stone LLC (Santa Fe): six Step Up trainees for a total award of $13,250. Parting Stone offers a new form of solidified human and animal cremains. The company is preparing about 1,000 solidifications annually. Each solidification produces 40-60 stones.
• Sceye Inc. (Moriarty): two trainees with an hourly average wage of $55.60 for a total award of $82,203. Sceye is a manufacturer of high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) for the stratosphere at 65,000 feet. Sceye connects directly to mobile devices and observes the Earth in real time at resolutions never before possible.
• Serbin Machining Inc. (Albuquerque): six trainees with an hourly average wage of $24.25 for a total award of $47,810. Serbin Machining is a provider of precision-machined components for the aerospace, military and industrial sectors.
• STEM Boomerang LLC (Albuquerque): 30 Step Up trainees for a total award of $50,750. STEM Boomerang is a woman- and minority-owned business that works to help create a talent pool of highly skilled STEM professionals locally and connect them to the best career opportunities. The organization provides ongoing recruitment and retention support for small businesses and career coaching for New Mexico graduates.
• X2nSAT Inc. (Las Cruces): two Step Up trainees for a total award of $2,670.60. X2nSAT is a full-service satellite network operator at the forefront of satellite communications technology. The company offers a variety of broadband and data transmission.