The RISE Grant Program
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the Illinois workforce. Small businesses are still struggling to hire qualified employees which has greatly impacted their operations. Illinois policymakers will need to promptly pass forward-thinking policies to help get folks back into the workforce.
The SBAC is advocating for the passage of The RISE Grant Program - HB4455. This legislation connects those interested working in a new field or industry with small businesses struggling to hire new employees. Importantly, HB4455 offsets the costs associated with on-the-job training at the inception of the employer-employee relationship. The legislation provides funding for $5,000 grants which can be awarded to businesses that (1) retrain and hire employees that lost their jobs or businesses because of the pandemic; (2) employ less than 50 employees; and (3) create a new net job.
Illinois received over $8 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act funds. The SBAC contends a responsible portion of those funds should be used to support small businesses struggling to hire new employees. This legislation allocates $250,000,000 in funding for this new grant program. This legislation connects those interested working in a new field, in part, facilitated by the pandemic, with small businesses that are struggling to hire new employees. HB4455 creates opportunities for small businesses, while helping get people back into the workforce.
What 2021 Could Mean for Small Businesses
January 20, 2021 By Elliot Richardson Small Business Advisory Council SBAC President Elliot Richardson’s column discusses the Business and Economic Outlook Forum hosted by the Daily Herald Business Ledger. The piece highlights the need for legislation that provides financial resources for small businesses to retrain and hire Illinoisans who have lost their jobs or businesses…
2020 to 2021 The Changing Landscape for Employment, Insurance and Lending
While mental health issues in the workplace have been a concern for some time, this past year, COVID-19 has shown the challenges employees are facing have spiked dramatically. Hear from Jason Tremblay on how this will impact both employers and their employees in the video. Stephen Ball from Fifth Third discusses automatic forgiveness for PPP…
Univision entrevista a Neli Vasquez-Rowland
Muchas gracias a univision para su reportaje sobre nuestra campaña conjunta con a Safe Haven Foundation para mantener a las pequenas empresas aflote y para prestar asistencia a las personas mas necesitadas durante este periodo tan dificil.
