The ETPU program is now closed. Please refer to your regional center for help.

ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING PROGRAM for the UNEMPLOYED

- Out of work?
- Thinking of starting your own business?
- Need start-up courses and help with planning?
- Worried about the fees?

Get the training, counseling, skills and support you’ll need, at no cost to you!

The NJSBDC has been contracted by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide training, counseling, support services, and increased opportunities to those individuals who meet the definition of a “dislocated worker” and are seeking to become self-employed.

Just follow the steps below to see if you are eligible to apply for 60 hours of NJSBDC classroom instruction, supplemented by individual counseling and technical assistance, in a six-week program funded entirely by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development!

STEP 1. Are you a dislocated worker? That is, are you someone who:

• Has been terminated or laid off, or has received a notice of termination or layoff from employment;
• Is eligible for, is currently receiving, or has exhausted unemployment insurance benefits;
• Was self-employed (including employment as a farmer, rancher or fisherman) but is unemployed as a result of general economic conditions in the community or because of natural disaster; or
• Is a “displaced homemaker”, i.e., one who has been providing unpaid services to family members in the home, is no longer supported by another family member, and is unemployed or underemployed and experiencing difficulty in obtaining employment.

STEP 2. If you believe that you meet any of the above criteria, and would like to complete an application for the program, fill out the registration form at the bottom of this page, and forms will be emailed to you.  Applications can also be submitted at your One-Stop Career Center (see Step 3).

STEP 3. Visit the nearest One-Stop Career Center and ask to speak to the ETPU Representative. (Click here for a list of all One-Stop Career Centers and their locations). He/she will update or enter your information in the One-Stop system, and ask you to complete a pre-qualifying application. Your application will be forwarded to the ETPU Program Coordinator at the NJDLWD.

STEP 4. Qualified applicants will then be asked to complete an assessment tool. The ETPU Program Coordinator at the NJDLWD, and the NJSBDC, will jointly review the assessment to determine program eligibility and advise you of acceptance.

Class locations and start dates are listed on the NJSBDC Center Locations and Start Dates page.