With vaccination rates on the rise and COVID-19 restrictions being lifted across the Commonwealth, enthusiastic customers are ready to get out of the house and support local restaurants, retailers, and rural businesses.
Is your business fully staffed for a full return? Prepare for the summer surge with a strong hiring strategy. Two recently-announced programs, the Return to Earn Grant and Work In Loudoun (This Summer), are here to boost your employee recruitment.
Return to Earn Grant Program
Signing bonuses can be a major draw for potential applicants. Governor Ralph Northam has announced the Return to Earn Grant Program, which will match payments from eligible small businesses to provide new hires with up to $1,000 to support their transition back into the workforce. The program is launching with $3 million to serve businesses with less than 100 employees that may not have the resources to provide this financial support.
Both businesses and the workforce stand to benefit from this investment.
“Many Virginians who lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic still face a variety of barriers to returning to work like access to affordable child care, transportation, and a living wage,” said Governor Northam.
Here‘s some quick facts about the program:
- Funds will only be reimbursed for new hires in positions that pay at least $15 per hour and qualify as W-2 employment, either full-time or part-time.
- Qualifying small businesses are eligible for a match of up to $500 per new hire for up to 25 new employees. These employees must have been hired on or after May 31, 2021.
- Qualifying small childcare businesses, who may be facing particularly challenging workforce shortages, may qualify for up to $500 per new hire without the requirement to match.
For additional information on requirements and to apply for Return to Earn grant funding, Loudoun small businesses should contact Virginia Career Works – Loudoun Workforce Resource Center.
Work In Loudoun (This Summer)
No matter what business you’re in, Loudoun Economic Development is equipped to help you connect with the region’s workforce and meet the renewed demand.
We’re kicking off a talent-meets-opportunity campaign designed to capture and promote every available job in Loudoun County. Throughout the summer months, we’ll continue to message seasonal opportunities to high school and college students, teachers, retirees, career changers, and anyone in search of a side gig.
Jobseekers across Northern Virginia are empowered to find opportunities on the Loudoun Jobs Portal at WorkInLoudoun.com, a powerful tool that pulls from more than 10,000 publicly-facing job boards. Its dynamic search functions make discovering seasonal and part-time postings easy, and jobseekers can even narrow their search to focus on specific categories and employers.
Search activity is heating up right now, due to traditional summer changes as well as the reinstatement of the weekly work search requirement. As of May 31, Virginians receiving unemployment benefits must make contact with employers each week and accept reasonable offers of employment.
Take advantage of these swells in hiring and consumer spending by working with our team! We’re here to serve as your talent attraction partner, whether that means posting a new job opening or promoting your existing opportunities.
Workforce Development Manager Nancy Evanko is on hand to walk you through the job posting process and ensure your openings have maximum visibility. Email Nancy to get started or click here to reference our step-by-step guide for getting promotion through the Work In Loudoun (This Summer) initiative.
