Services & Benefits Directory

Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNET)

The mission of the Small Business Development Center National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNET) is to meet the information needs of the SBDC community in the United States and its territories. SBDCNET serves as a resource providing timely, relevant research, web-based information, and training to SBDC counselors and their small business clients.

The goals of SBDCNET are to:

support the SBDC Counselor with research and relevant analyses.
empower the entrepreneur with business information.
educate through on-site training and distance learning.
facilitate the exchange of SBDC best practices and program ideas.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

The Foreign Labor Certification is federally funded through a contract with the U.S. Department of Labor. Prior to bringing foreign workers into the U.S., employers must file a labor certification application with the Alien Labor Certification (ALC) Unit of the New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES). The ALC unit issues a priority date and processes the application. In connection with filing the labor certification application, the ALC Unit is required to determine the prevailing wage for the occupation in the area of intended employment, and to initiate a work search to recruit and refer qualified U.S. workers to the job opening. The employer can reject U.S. applicants only for job-related reasons. After form corrections and recruitment, the application is forwarded to the U.S. Department of Labor, for certification or denial.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 gives state and local officials new authority and flexibility for using federal job training aid to set up market- driven workforce investment systems in every community. This initiative can bring public systems providing services such as postsecondary technical training, employment, job search assistance, job training, retraining, adult literacy, and other labor market aid with closer links to the realities of changing job markets. The intent is to simplify programs under a single, comprehensive system compared to the current array of separate programs.

In New Hampshire, the Office of Workforce Opportunity oversees WIA services.