In your morning mail, you have received a letter from the Arizona Commerce Authority (formerly known as the Arizona Department of Commerce). Use the link here (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to glean information about the ACA. Because you have been contributing to the state’s Job Training Fund, you are eligible to apply for a $5,000 grant to help pay for the delivery of customized job-related training. As you read the letter, you consider ways you could use the money to provide training for your employees.
In particular, you would like to have employees receive training in effective business communication using new technologies. Your introduction to WebEx was, you think, a success. But some problems have occurred: some employees communicate in a tone more appropriate in social situations than business settings while others are using work time to IM with friends. The grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) sounds like a good opportunity to do some training. Hint: familiarize yourself with the mission and goals of the ACA. What is it that will resonate with this audience?
Your application must be submitted as a 4 – 5-page letter addressed to the Arizona Commerce Authority, 1700 W. Washington St., Executive Tower Ste. 600, Phoenix, AZ 85007. In your letter you must:
Describe your training program and its significance. Be very specific about what your training program will include. Be sure to also explain why the training is important for your employees and for your company’s success. The Arizona Commerce Authority is specifically interested in training programs that raise the skill levels of employees, so this section of your application should persuade them the training you have developed increases employee skills in a way that benefits both them and your company. Obviously, identifying and preventing identity theft is an important context for your proposal. You may want to review the sections in Chapter 10 about creating persuasive messages.
Include a budget that outlines how you will use the grant funds. Your budget should include a list of costs and supporting details and should be clear. Eligible costs include training materials, training supplies, facility rental, course design or development, trainer wages (for course delivery only), and equipment is used only for training purposes. Ineligible costs include travel, full-time salary for trainers, food and beverages, and training that is developed externally (conferences, seminars). Use a table to list your costs.
