Milenio Associates, LLC
Kennedy Secures Funds to Assist with Job Development Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Central Falls, R.I.-Today, Congressman Patrick Kennedy delivered $182,000 in federal funds to The College of Business and the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center (RI SBDC) at Johnson & Wales University’s Providence campus and Progreso Latino, Inc to invest in a new generation of talent that will one day be competitive members of our local workforce. As the largest bilingual, multi-cultural social service agency in the state of Rhode Island, Progreso Latino improves conditions for members of the Latino and immigrant community with creative solutions that enhance our communities and strengthen our state.
The funding provided by this appropriation will support entrepreneurial education, training and business coaching for Latino entrepreneurs in Rhode Island and build capacity and infrastructure for sustainable economic and community development through the focused partnership of Johnson & Wales University and Progreso Latino, Inc. “This is an exciting opportunity to increase small business ownership in the State of Rhode Island,” said Congressman Patrick Kennedy. “Small business is the backbone of our workforce and critical to our country’s overall economic health. It is imperative that we invest in young innovators to help maintain a strong workforce and take the lead in growing our economy,” he said. The program will focus on businesses in Pawtucket and Central Falls, Rhode Island. With Latinos making up 14% of the population in Pawtucket and 48% of the population in Central Falls, this funding will be effective in identifying and meeting the needs of this growing constituency. JWU students and faculty will also benefit from the real life experience of working with these clients and helping their businesses continue to make significant contributions to the local economy. Ramon Martinez, President/CEO of Progreso Latino said of the appropriation, “I am very excited about our continued partnership with Johnson & Wales University's RI Small Business Development Center. Progreso Latino is proud and honored to support the SBDC's Fast Trac/Primer Paso program, which ensures that our entrepreneurs receive the necessary tools and resources to assist them with their capacity building. Our organization is also looking forward to the SBDC's continued involvement with our strategic planning and employee development process in order to better serve the needs of our constituencies” Martinez indicated he was grateful for the Congressman’s support of this important initiative and feels it will go a long way towards “fulfilling our missions to the communities we serve”. John Cronin, RI SBDC Executive Director also acknowledged the Congressman’s leadership in this realm. He said, “In partnership with Congressman Kennedy and Progreso Latino, we will provide world class education, training and business coaching to hundreds of Latino entrepreneurs who will work with JWU faculty and students to create a more prosperous future. We’re so proud and excited to advance this good work.” 194
© Tomás Alberto Ávila