The Employment Training Assessment forms the basis for the Employment Training Agreement (ETAG).  The ETAG is part of the loan closing documents at CEI and is critical to the targeting of employment opportunities for people with low incomes as well as other groups in need.

CEI uses the ETAG to create greater public accountability and increase access for low to moderate income individuals in Maine in exchange for access to gap financing. 

When a job opening arises at an ETAG business, CEI notifies a network of workforce development organizations serving low to moderate income job seekers, and brokers available training resources and apprenticeship program services  for the firms to help train individuals referred through the this network of service providers.

This approach of utilizing the ETAG has become a national model for other community development organizations formally linking economic development with access to jobs for low-moderate income people. 

When an ETAG is developed...

 The business commits to:

• target a majority of new jobs created (depending on loan funds used) for low-income and minorities referred through Maine's job training programs
• provide standard employee benefits package, including health care coverage
• notify CEI of all new job openings as they become available
• cooperate with CEI and job training providers in the hiring of people with low incomes and the implementation of the training program
• report monthly on employment and training activity

• refer minorities and people with low incomes to the business for available employment positions
• provide job counseling services
• provide job training subsidies, i.e., on-job training contracts and field training
• provide pre-employment training
• provide on-site customized skills training (as appropriate)
• provide support services, including but not limited to, child care and transportation
• cooperate with CEI and the business in the implementation of the training program
• report on referrals, placements, and training subsidies of low-income participants hired by business

• facilitate the implementation of the training and the ETAG
• provide job notifications to education and training providers
• follow up on referrals and job placements
• maintain ongoing communications with all Parties to the ETAG
• ensure compliance with ETAG and with "targeted job placements"
• monitor activities for evaluation purposes and to determine effectiveness of the ETAG