- Published: Wednesday, May 25, 2022 03:25 PM
ROCKFORD – Working together with local organizations to spur workforce trainings and recovery, State Senator Steve Stadelman announced more than $1 million in equitable workforce recovery grants will come to Rockford to help people struggling to gain employment.
“We are supporting jobs programs in our district that will help employ people across our community with good paying jobs to support themselves and their families,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This investment comes at a time when businesses are contending with rising inflation and a post-COVID economy. It’s pertinent we take action to help address the workforce issues present in our state.”
The greater Rockford community will see workforce recovery investments totaling $1,175,000 in:
- The City of Rockford - $300,000
- YWCA Northwestern Illinois - $575,000
- Comprehensive Community Solutions Inc. - $300,000
“YWCA Northwestern Illinois is thrilled to receive this grant to develop and launch YW TechLab. Of the 12,000 families we work with annually, a majority of them do not earn a living wage,” said Kris L. Machajewski, president & CEO of YWCA Northwestern Illinois. “It has always been our goal to bring those who need our services to a place of economic self-sufficiency, the best way we can do that is to provide them with a new skillset that will launch them into careers that pay a living wage, while building equity in IT and STEM fields.”