Across Washington, the Community Reinvestment Program is helping people access better jobs, strengthen small businesses and build economic opportunities in their communities.
Through a partnership with the Employment Security Department and local Workforce Development Councils, Commerce is investing $14.5 million in workforce development to expand career pathways and support businesses across the state.
“Historically, excluded, and underserved communities have faced various unique barriers,” said Krista Perez, Strategic Partnerships Manager (she/her/ella). “Our partners, we all have the same thing in common, which is to serve our communities, to serve job seekers and really help build their sort of economic mobility and economic power.”
That support can take many forms: from wage reimbursements and on the job training to match savings accounts that help people invest in their future.
“I recently spoke to a local individual that works here at the local Workforce Development Council, here at WorkForce Central,” Perez continued. “I said, hey, how are your businesses doing? How are the grants doing? What are you seeing? He listed off more businesses than I could even count that have been able to increase their income and increase their ability to recruit and hire staff. They’re able to grow and scale.”
At its core, this work is built on collaboration.
“The CRP team is consistently open to collaboration, to rethinking, to ideating and brainstorming together,” shared Krista Perez. “We come together regularly to share and reflect on issues that we might all have in common. In essence, we get to dream together. We get to have new vision together. We get learn and grow.”