New York - Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Walsh today hosted an Employer Appreciation breakfast held at Gracie Mansion to recognize close to 200 businesses for investing in the city’s economy and local workforce by hiring and training thousands of New Yorkers through SBS’ NYC Business Solutions, which offers a suite of cost-free services to help businesses start, operate and expand throughout the five boroughs.
“Thank you to all the businesses that have committed to helping our City grow by investing in training and getting New Yorkers back to work,” said Commissioner Walsh. “We encourage businesses to take advantage of the array of cost-free services offered through NYC Business Solutions, whether they need to find new employees, train their current staff or expand. New York City is a unique blend of diverse industries and talented people – and our support is instrumental in helping everyone succeed.”
Last year, SBS’ NYC Business Solutions team worked with more than 600 businesses across the five boroughs to recruit thousands of candidates for job openings in fields such as retail, healthcare, food services, transportation and information technology, among others. NYC Business Solutions identifies job openings, develops a customized recruitment strategy and then partners with the City’s Workforce1 Career Centers to review resumes, identify and screen candidates and match the right employee to the right employer. Last year more than 25,000 New Yorkers were placed in jobs through NYC Business Solutions’ recruitment services and Workforce1 Career Centers’ jobseeker services.
Today, local businesses were recognized for their commitment to helping our local economy and putting New Yorkers to work. For example, the NYC Business Solutions team assisted Best Buy, an electronics retailer, in hiring close to 300 employees for several of its new stores in Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. AJ Wright, an apparel and home fashions retailer – with significant support from NYC Business Solutions’ recruitment services – in November opened its fourth location in New York City and first in Brooklyn. Some small businesses assisted in the hiring process include the manufacturing firms GM Printing and Beltran Technologies; the food service companies Kyotofu and Piada; and the healthcare firm Bestcare.
New York City’s businesses are not only hiring new employees, but also working to keep their employees competitive in today’s job market through NYC Business Solutions Training Funds. For example, Kyotofu, a Japanese Dessert Bar & Bakery which opened in the fall of 2006 in Manhattan, is using $89,000 in training funds to create 10 new jobs and implement comprehensive culinary training for 20 staff that will enable them to expand and maintain the consistency of its products. Clean Edison LLC, a Manhattan-based consultancy for “green” energy certifications, is using an $85,937 training funds to train 30 employees in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and solar photovoltaic; and IEH Corporation, a Brooklyn-based designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-performance electronic connectors, is using $64,365 in training funds to train 27 employees in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, production management, and equipment maintenance. NYC Training Funds provide businesses with up to $400,000 to cover a maximum of 70 percent of training costs and provide entry-level and current workers with career advancement opportunities and increase trainee wages.
The NYC Business Solutions team works to support businesses in various ways. Each year NYC Business Solutions provides customized services to help over 12,400 entrepreneurs and business owners reach their goals. Last year, through NYC Business Solutions, more than 404 customers were able to secure $22 million in financing; over 3,300 business owners attended free business courses; more than 260 businesses were connected to pro bono legal assistance; and more than 2,000 businesses learned how to sell their products and services to the government.
NYC Business Solutions is at the forefront of the City’s effort to provide direct assistance to business owners throughout the five boroughs. Mayor Bloomberg launched NYC Business Solutions in 2004, to ensure that the City's businesses have access to a range of cost-free business services. To learn more go to www.nyc.gov/sbs or call 311 and ask for NYC Business Solutions.