2023-10-06 05:15:49
photo by: Joselyn King
West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore, right — himself a welder — watches as student Tyler Mitchell shows his skills during Moore’s stop at West Virginia Northern Community College on Thursday.
West Virginia tradespeople and vocational students have the chance to win up to $12,000 for work-related expenses, and all they have to do is snap a picture and tell why they are “proud to be a West Virginia skilled worker.”
State Treasurer Riley Moore visited West Virginia Northern Community College Thursday to tell students regarding both the skilled worker contest and the Jumpstart Savings Program initiated by his office.
To be eligible for contest, entrants must be a legal West Virginia resident who is 18 years or older as of Sept. 26. They also must be currently enrolled in or have completed education through a community and technical school; an advanced career education center; a License 35 school; a state or federally approved apprenticeship; high school technical education; or a licensure or certification program approved as a qualifying profession by the Jumpstart Savings Program governing Board.
To enter the contest, applicants should visit www.wvjumpstart.com/contest and in 250 words or less answer the question: “What makes you proud to be a West Virginia skilled worker?” Contestants are also asked to submit one original digital picture that best captures their answer.
Applicants have until Dec. 31 to enter the contest.
Twenty winning entrants will receive $2,000 deposited into their Jumpstart Savings Account, with one of those winners getting an additional $10,000 award – for a total of $12,000.
“For myself, I was like you. I went to trade school,” Moore told the WVNCC students. “I actually became a welder following trade school. If I had continued to do that, I would certainly be making more money than I would as your state treasurer. There’s definitely good money in trades — but not as much in government, that’s not why I am doing this job.”
Moore would go on to become state treasurer, and oversee the state’s Smart 529 college savings plan.
“To me, what made sense was to start a program not to save for college classes, but for following graduation,” he continued. “You would be able to save money to buy tools, equipment, licenses, certifications, and for start-up business costs.
“The way to think regarding it is if it is applicable to anything you can learn here, you can spend it on it.”
Moore explained the Jumpstart tax advantage savings program this way. If a tradesperson earning $50,000 annually contributes 10% of their income to the program — or $5,000 — that amount can be deducted from their income tax up to $25,000 in a year, he said.
Secondly, the money can be invested in the Jumpstart Savings Plan, where the money saved can grow and later be used for work-related expenses, he added.
Moore is also currently a Republican candidate for West Virginia’s 2nd District U.S. House seat. If successful in winning the race, he said he hopes to introduce a bill establishing a similar Jumpstart Savings Program at the federal level.
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