Progressive Finishes Inc., an Alabaster company specializing in painting and coating metal parts used in the automotive industry, has received a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to train employees.

Progressive Finishes received the grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, which received the funds from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The grant will pay for Progressive Finishes’ 46 employees to complete an Incumbent Worker Training program, said plant manager Kevin Pope.

“The program is designed to help our experienced workforce to upgrade their skills and make them more competitive, especially in a high technology market and the auto industry,” said Pope, adding the company will pay for the training and be reimbursed by the state.

“This is really good for a company like ours that doesn’t have the resources for training. This keeps us on an even playing field with bigger companies and helps us compete outside of the state.”

Pope says the training targets administrative and plant employees. Depending on their field, employees could train as little as 10 hours or as much as 100 hours, Pope said.