By Dianne Anderson

Black workers need jobs, and Black business owners need good workers, and it’s even better when the workers are free to employers, without everything coming out of pocket.

For small businesses looking for ways to connect with employees without upfront overhead costs, one  initiative is helping local applicants get in line for immediate hire.

Tammy Martin-Ryles, president and founder of the Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire (BCCIE), regularly brings out about 10–15 businesses to interview 40 to 70 applicants. Some individuals get hired on the spot.

But, she said that some businesses are afraid of hiring.

Through state and county programs, she shows them how they can bring on workers at little or no initial cost giving both employers and employees a chance to succeed.

At BCCIE job fairs, employers are connected with state and county programs designed to help with the initial hiring costs in a process that helps train the local workforce while protecting small business capital.

“If you’re training them to have skills and you’re getting them for free, for the first six weeks, and maybe the county or state is going to pay for you to have those [workers]. Then once you get them, then you see how much money they’re bringing to you,” she said.

Job fairs are regularly hosted at New Hope Family Life Center, usually on the last Wednesday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., located at 1505 W Highland Ave, San Bernardino.

There, she said the goal is to break down barriers to employment and give local businesses solid strategies to grow and be profitable. She feels the hiring pipeline goes beyond single-day events, as participating employers help get the word out to qualified applicants.

By utilizing local resources, BCCIE does the groundwork, which is paying off for even minimally skilled workers, who can earn $17–25 an hour. Those jobs span many industries, from food service to finance, banking, education, child development, healthcare, retail, security, technology, logistics, and government.

Representatives come out from insurance careers like Aflac, New York Life, and Farmers Insurance; skilled trades; retail and manufacturing; along with salaried positions in law enforcement, school districts, and government agencies.

Depending on the employer, benefits also include healthcare, retirement plans, paid leave, tuition assistance, certifications, and career advancement with full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, contracts, internships, apprenticeships, and professional career positions.

Also, every month on the third Monday, local business owners can come out to meet and learn something new to grow their businesses. With BCCIE, they connect to a network of 200 businesses, which, in turn, helps the community.

Looking at both sides of the equation, what businesses need to grow and what the community needs to thrive, is part of her two-pronged approach, probably stemming from being a business owner and mentor half the time. The other half of her career is her day job as a science teacher.

She is also excited about their regular participant, the California Conservation Corps, which offers a monthly stipend with affordable housing, career training, certifications, and education money, giving young adults a chance to build skills while earning a paycheck.

With CCC, workers earn about $2,200–$2,800, and receive three meals a day with access to up to $8,000 a year in education-related scholarships.

“If you go to the right facility, they already have an apartment for you on the ground,” she said. “They feed you breakfast, lunch and dinner. You don’t have to worry about a car. They will drive you. They pay for dental, medical, everything.”

Like everyone else these days, she said BCCIE doesn’t have a big budget, but they know how to stretch a dollar. They maintain financial management and stay on mission even through tough economic times.

“Because you have to be a servant in this. Because God will always pay you back. You’re getting paid back. You just have to have a passion,” she said.

Alongside resources through the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department, the partnership also offers technical assistance to the area.

“Through this partnership, businesses gain access to workforce solutions that help reduce hiring costs, strengthen employee recruitment and retention, navigate employment laws, and receive personalized technical assistance and workforce incentives,” she said.

For job seekers, there’s career coaching, skills assessments, occupational training, supportive services, and funding opportunities that help remove barriers to employment and prepare individuals for long-term career success.

For employers, she said that hiring can be scary for small businesses, but she emphasizes that local workforce programs offer a risk-free solution.

Both sides, businesses and local communities, stand to gain from state and county incentives.

Many entrepreneurs are surprised to learn these programs even exist, she said, or that they qualify for hiring incentives and wage reimbursements to reduce the cost of bringing on new employees.

“We have a lot of small businesses that need to hire employees, and they’re afraid because they think they’re going to lose money,” she said. “But what we have to start them off with, we have to show them all of the programs out there. It’s like, let us get you six workers you don’t have to pay for.”

For upcoming mixers, job fairs and locations, visit the Black Chamber of Commerce Inland Empire online at https://www.bccinlandempire.com