January 30, 2025
In 2024, WorkForce Central allocated roughly $2.7 million in Community Reinvestment Funds to support minority-owned small businesses and job seekers in Pierce County, addressing racial, social, and economic disparities within our local communities.
This work is part of a larger state-wide investment of $200 million through the Department of Commerce’s Community Reinvestment Act. The funding was approved by the state Legislature in 2022 with the directive to invest the funds in four program areas: economic development, civil and criminal legal assistance, community-based violence intervention and prevention services, and reentry services.
WorkForce Central has implemented several programs with these directives in mind, including a Small Business Grant program for asset purchases, wage reimbursement, and employee development. Through our partners at WorkSource Pierce, we provided monthly stipends to support more than 700 job seekers as they work through their programs.
We are partnering with by-and-for community organizations, Mi Centro and the Black Collective, by funding navigator positions to help these communities understand the funding and programs available and assist them through the application process. The grants for asset purchases have been the most popular so far, with all funds allocated and in the process of being distributed.
As we continue in this work, we are moving forward with funding more wage reimbursement and employee development grants, as well as working on new initiatives and services to further address the disparities to these priority populations, including the addition of financial coaching services and expanding services to our justice-impacted populations.
