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Bloomberg Tries To Give Small Businesses A Boost With Grants

NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has declared that small business is going to get us out of this economic slump.

WCBS 880's Rich Lamb On The Story

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On Tuesday, the billionaire businessman saluted the city's Department of Small Business Services, which he bragged "placed New Yorkers in a record 31,000 jobs in 2010 and our objective is 35,000 this year."

The mayor announced grants to four companies, which will add their money to the city's to train workers.

"There's an enormous number of people in this country that need jobs and we all talk about creating jobs. I think that the ways to do that is to help small businesses. That's what we focused on in this city," said Bloomberg.

Terrafina LLC, a Brooklyn-based wholesale food manufacturer, will use a $27,824 Training Funds award, to train 12 incumbent employees in lean manufacturing, food safety training and English as a Second Language. The program is projected to result in an average wage increase of 10 percent for all trainees. The award will be matched by an employer contribution of a $15,900.

Abtron Associates is a Brooklyn-based business environmental contracting and demolition firm. Abtron will use a $100,131 Training Funds award to train 26 employees in advanced asbestos and lead remediation techniques and specialized computer software. The program is projected to result in 11 new hires and an average wage increase of 12 percent for all trainees. The award will be matched by an employer contribution of $57,218.

Jamaica Physical Therapy, a Queens-based physical therapy and rehabilitation office, will use a $29,785 Training Funds award to train 10 employees in electronic records management, billing and coding, and business communications. The program is projected to result in an average wage increase of 16 percent. The award will be matched by an employer contribution of $17,020.

Rennert International (Wall Street Languages), a Manhattan-based English and foreign language school, will use a $25,007 Training Funds award to train 15 employees in graphic design and advanced management skills. The program is projected to result in an average wage increase of 7 percent for all trainees. The award will be matched by an employer contribution of $14,290.

An additional $500,000 in Training Funds are available. Applications for this round of funding are due Thursday, September 15 and pre-applications for the next round are due November 14. New York City businesses can apply at www.nyc.gov/training or by calling 311 and asking for "NYC Business Solutions Training."

"There's nothing that we're doing in the city that other cities couldn't do and we'd love to see them, for the good of this country, try some of these things," said Bloomberg, noting that big programs seldom work and they cost an awful lot of money, but small things, like training individual people for jobs, add up. "One job at a time, you can get people jobs."

What do you think should be done to get New York City and elsewhere out of this economic slump? Sound off below.

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