In the first monthly meeting of FY 2025, the Job Training Incentive Program Board approved funding for up to 44 New Mexico employees for a maximum total reimbursement of $747,053, New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) Acting Secretary Mark Roper announced.
The Job Training Incentive Program, also known as JTIP, secures monthly funding for applicants whose employees meet certain criteria. EDD reimburses for training programs of newly hired New Mexicans, with an emphasis on jobs in rural and frontier areas, New Mexico higher education graduates, veterans, and more.
“The positions approved in August represent the type of quality jobs we want to cultivate in New Mexico,” Roper said. “JTIP directly assists companies with local staffing expansion, strategically invests in our economy, and supports communities throughout the state.”
August JTIP awards support jobs with wages ranging from $15 to $62. These employees add value to the local economy, spurring business growth and securing future job opportunities within their communities.
The seven awarded applicants in August 2024 are:
BlackVe, Inc., Albuquerque, 7 trainees at an average wage of $75, with a maximum award of $301,306. BlackVe applies cutting-edge design, manufacturing, and production technologies to design, manufacture, and operate satellites. The company is a national security-focused space company. This is BlackVe’s first JTIP application.
Emerging Technology Ventures, Inc. (ETV), Las Cruces, 2 trainees at an average wage of $30, with a maximum award of $35,570. ETV is an Economically Disadvantaged, Woman-Owned and HUBZone Small Business that develops cross-cutting autonomous systems technology startups in applications including precision agriculture, critical infrastructure protection, public safety, and environmental management. EVT’s core product, KeenAI, provides end-to-end autonomous workflow services (sense-understand-decide-act) to conduct multi-modal sensing and fusion; AI/ML driven predictive analytics; hybrid computing (edge/cloud); and multi-echelon mission planning/execution in complex environments with scalable Human(x)-Autonomy(x) Teaming (H(x)A(x)T).
Gridworks, Inc., Albuquerque, 6 trainees at an average wage of $33 and 2 interns at an average wage of $26. The amount approved is an amended $101,340. Gridworks provides turnkey solar and energy storage solutions for developers and utility clients through engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), and through operations and maintenance (O&M). The company’s proprietary technologies streamline the EPC process.
Higher Cultures LLC, Las Cruces, 1 trainee at a wage of $20 for an amended award of up to $8,000. Higher Cultures produces high-quality cannabis products on the market. The company is focused on running a responsible and profitable business and creating quality jobs in the communities in which it operates.
La Primera Tortilla Factory Inc., Sunland Park, 21 trainees at an average wage of $15, with a maximum award of $143,001. La Primera Tortilla Factory produces corn and flour tortillas, tostadas, and corn dough for tamales. Clients include retail stores such as Walmart, Food King, Albertson's, and local small grocery stores across El Paso, Texas, and New Mexico. It also supplies chain restaurants like TacoTote, Carnitas Queretaro, Carlos and Mickies, Corralitos, and others.
SasquatchXC dba: Sasquatch Campers Inc., Farmington, 5 trainees at an average wage of $22 for a maximum award of 66,815. ETV has two flagship products: the Highland 60, featuring luxurious in-cab sleeping arrangements with a queen bed, advanced storage solutions, and amenities like heating and air conditioning, and the Smuggler, a versatile cargo trailer with a rooftop tent. The trailers are known for their lightweight aluminum construction and premium suspension system. This is the company’s first JTIP application.
Sceye, Inc., Moriarty, 2 trainees at an average wage of $62, with a maximum award of $91,020. Sceye is a manufacturer of High-Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) for the stratosphere at 65,000 feet. From here, Sceye connects directly to mobile devices and observes the earth in real-time at resolutions never before possible. Sceye stations are an excellent solution for instant infrastructure in an era where broadband access has become essential to everyday life.