ROANOKE, Va. – There are more local efforts underway to help small businesses.
The organization Virginia Career Works - Blue Ridge announced on Monday that it’s going to give out grant funding with the goal to save local jobs.
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It will select a limited number of small businesses, which have to have fewer than 250 employees and be in Roanoke, Botetourt, Franklin, Craig, or Alleghany county, or the cities of Covington, Roanoke or Salem.
Virginia Career Works is taking applications on its website today through Friday at 5 p.m.
“It’s never enough money. We can’t ever have as much as we’d like to have, but we hope that this can keep a few folks from having to go on unemployment and allow them to stay busy doing what they love, and at the same time, allow some businesses that are really struggling to potentially keep the doors open,” said Brad Stephens, business and development manager at Virginia Career Works - Blue Ridge.
Businesses applying will be asked how grant money would help keep employees working. Examples of strategies including using the money for cleaning supplies to allow employees to be in workplaces or for equipment or software to allow working from home.
These services and programs are supported by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration.