State gives out tax credits, receives grant funds

An El Dorado Springs nonprofit is receiving $350,000 in state tax credits, while the state has received more than $1 million in federal grant money for green jobs training, according to two separate Nov. 20 releases from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The El Do Youth Center in El Dorado Springs was approved for $350,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits, which the organization hopes to use to renovate a 4,000-square-foot historic building and build a 7,200-square-foot addition to use as a youth center. Planned services at the center include organized weekend programs for middle school students, after-school latchkey programs and basic computer skills classes.

The NAP credits help nonprofits raise private-sector funds by offering partial state tax credits to businesses making contributions to approved projects, according to DED. Businesses can donate cash, materials, services, labor, real estate, or stocks and bonds. Credits can equal up to 50 percent of the total contribution value or up to 70 percent in rural areas.

Meanwhile, Missouri DED received a $1,227,192 competitive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant that can be used for green jobs training.

According to its grant proposal, the state intends to use the funds to inform job training providers about necessary skills for success in green-industry careers, including a green industry demand survey, green occupation projections and rapid response career guidance publications.

"This grant program will allow us to analyze labor market data to assess economic activity in green industries and identify occupations and skill requirements within those industries," Gov. Jay Nixon said in the release. "Our state workforce agencies can then use this information as the foundation on which to build and implement effective workforce development strategies."

The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center will use the funding to disseminate information about energy-efficiency and renewable-energy industries. The research will support guide worker training and retraining efforts in Missouri's 43 Career Centers.