Two ways to bring more ease to your training:
reimbursed & Free professional development events
Happier Valley Comedy is a service provider with the Workforce Training Fund Express Program, which brings Massachusetts employers fast, simple access to grant-funded training. After you directly pay Happier Valley Comedy for the event, the Workforce Training Fund reimburses the full price of training for companies under 50 employees and half of the price of a training for companies with 51-100 employees. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and grants are awarded throughout the year.
Steps to access workforce express grant funding
- Determine eligibility and funding - Companies with 1-50 Massachusetts employees can receive an Express Grant to reimburse 100% of the cost of the training. Companies with 51-100 Massachusetts employees can receive 50% of the cost of the training. Organizations must contribute to the Workforce Training Fund via a surcharge on Unemployment Insurance (UI) contributions. Click here for eligibility and reimbursement details
- Meet with Pam Victor to schedule the best-fit program for your team. She will provide you with course number and title to use in your application. To make an appointment, email Pam or click here
- Request a Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. All COGS should have the business’s legal name and a Notice Date within 6 months from the date of application submission. Click here to obtain your COGS
- Apply for funding at least 21 days before the training. Click here for application. (It takes about 15-30 minutes.) If you have questions, here's their FAQ page.
- Accept your award from Workforce Training Fund. Congratulations!
- Enjoy a reimbursed Happier Valley Comedy training event! Yay!
- Request reimbursement from Workforce Training Fund within 30 days after the training event by submitting proof of payment and roster of attendees to them. (More info here.)
If you have any questions about the grant or application/reimbursement process, click here for their FAQ.
Or email them here and they will usually get back to you within two business days.
Or email them here and they will usually get back to you within two business days.
Workforce Express Grant Eligibility & Reimbursement Information:
Note that on Nov. 1, 2024, Workforce implemented new restrictions to funding, which are noted below. Should your reimbursement be limited, we will do our best to adjust our pricing to fit within your budget.
Note that on Nov. 1, 2024, Workforce implemented new restrictions to funding, which are noted below. Should your reimbursement be limited, we will do our best to adjust our pricing to fit within your budget.
- To qualify for the Express Grant, businesses must pay into the Workforce Training Fund. All for-profit companies pay into the fund. Some nonprofits contribute but others do not. This is determined by the method selected for UI coverage. Nonprofits that select the “contributory method” are paying into the Workforce Training Fund and are therefore eligible to apply. Nonprofits that select the “reimbursable method” are paying a discounted rate that does not include contribution to the Workforce Training Fund and therefore are not eligible.
- Massachusetts businesses with 1-50 Massachusetts W-2 employees may apply to receive full reimbursement of the cost of training.
- Massachusetts businesses with 51-100 Massachusetts W-2 employees may apply to receive 50% reimbursement of the cost of training. (If you do not receive the full cost of the event, Happier Valley Comedy will do our best to adjust pricing to fit within your budget.)
- As of Nov. 1, 2024, there are new funding caps of maximum of $15,000 per business per calendar year.
- Our fee structure meets the maximum of $300 per instructional hour for each participant. As our events typically run 2-3 hours, our pricing falls well below WFTP's per person maximum for each course. To estimate reimbursement, click here for the WFTP's Course Subsidy Estimator (In the drop-downs, use either #C-3868 or C-3903. And select "per trainee" rate.)
- Companies may apply for and receive more than one Express Program grant at a time. However, employers may only participate in either the Express or General Program at one time.
- All applicants need a Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. If you haven't had one issued within the last six months, it's recommended to request a COGS as soon as possible to avoid delaying your training.
- All trainees must be full-time or part-time payroll employees of the company receiving an Express Program grant and must be employed in Massachusetts. (Trainees are not required to live in Massachusetts.) Contractors or employees of other firms (e.g., temps) are not eligible to participate in grant-funded training.
- Training should not begin before the Express Service Agreement start date. Each training course should be completed within the timeframe entered in the application. Please notify Workforce Training Fund if your training schedule changes so they can update their record. All approved training must be completed within 24 months of the Express Service Agreement start date.
- Reimbursement must be requested within 30 days after a course has been completed.
- Businesses with more than 100 Massachusetts employees are no longer eligible for the Express Grant. Instead they are encouraged to apply for a General Program grant instead, which covers 50% of trainings for applications from $10,000-$200,000.
- Click here for Express Grant Guidelines.
- Their application can be found here.
"Pam clearly reads her audience well, and had of team of skeptics not only laughing and participating, but also actively using the principles of the workshop within hours of her departure … I have never participated in a workshop that was so thoroughly applicable to our daily life, work, and relationships. The return on investment was clear immediately."
-Meghan Lynch, CEO, Six-Point Creative
"Since we worked with Pam, my team has drawn on her workshop lessons many times to help frame feedback and motivate change. Pam is a true professional in her craft!" |
“I would recommend Pam as a presenter to whomever is bringing in trainers, or trying to make their organization more effective in thinking, collaborating, changing their outlook to positive, and on and on. Please do not hesitate to contact me for even more praise for Pam Victor." |
"I love working with Pam in developing the right kind of program for my group. She asked great questions about the group dynamics and how her program could be of the most benefit. She was able to get an entire group (with many introverts) up, active and engaged. We have been talking about the experience ever since! I highly recommend bringing Pam as part of a team building exercise. You will have fun, laugh, learn, and come out with some great communication skills."
-Kate Harrington, Senior Human Resources Specialist, Office of Human Resources, Smith College
"What an awesome experience for my team. The lessons were applicable and still resonate today … I think this has been one of the most positive and influential things we have done as a group. Yes, and I loved it. Yes, and I learned. Yes, and every office should take time for this!”
-Kirsten Modestow, Executive Creative Director, BRIGADE