MAYWOOD – Kimberly A. Lightford, Illinois Senate Majority Leader (D-Maywood) congratulated local businesses struggling from the pandemic that were awarded grants from the latest round of the Back to Business program.

The B2B program allocated $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations such as staff and overhead costs.

“Small Businesses struggled the most throughout the pandemic, and I’m glad these businesses received relief so that they can continue to operate in in our communities,” Lightford said. “Local businesses are the backbone of our economy and supporting them helps keep jobs in the community.”

MAYWOOD – Kimberly A. Lightford, Illinois Senate majority leader, will serve as the co-chair of the Commission on Workforce Equity and Access, which was created to expand equitable access to quality career opportunities for Illinois minority residents.

“Communities of color have suffered unprecedented unemployment during the pandemic, but we have always had less access to respected career opportunities in Illinois,” Lightford said. “This commission is charged with envisioning the future of Illinois’ workforce system that is both equitable and accessible.”

House Bill 2170, known as the Education and Workforce Equity Act, part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus four-pillar agenda was signed into law March 2021. The act required the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board to perform a study to determine the feasibility of consolidating all workforce development programs under a single agency.

CHICAGO – To help adults and youth who have suffered job losses during the pandemic, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) recently announced $20 million will go toward workforce recovery efforts through the American Rescue Plan Act Job Training and Economic Development Program.

“As the result of an unprecedented global pandemic, investments in workforce training have never been more important for our communities, our people and our economy,” Lightford said. “I’m proud to join Gov. Pritzker in announcing the next steps to guide our continued economic recovery with investments that will put more people back to work. I look forward to heading up the work of the commission so that we can close the equity gap that has for too long shut residents out and bring more Illinoisans into not just jobs, but permanent career paths.”