Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Solutions:

*Emphasize job training in schools and community colleges. But not all programs should be semester based. Manufacturing jobs are available but companies can't find qualified local workers. We need to develop a direct pipeline in which local workers are trained to fill those available jobs. Local plants should not have to search across the country to find employees when we have capable workers in the Rockford area.

*Help and support our small businesses, the largest providers of jobs. The state's current tax incentives now support large companies, but these tax breaks are funded on the backs of the rest of Illinois' business community. Small and large businesses should be treated equally when it comes to state tax breaks.

*Provide transportation infrastructure to help Rockford area businesses compete. A growing Rockford Airport and access to the Chicago area are keys to economic development. This includes improvements to our interstate highways and commuter rail service.

*Offer incentives for companies to locate in vacant or underutilized buildings to promote job growth and downtown redevelopment. By encouraging a partnership between the public and private sector, our communities can expand retail and restaurants.

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