MARYVILLE – State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) applauded the state’s COVID-19 response employment opportunities, which aim to connect residents who are out of work with new job options.

“These positions put food on the table of working families and give those who are hired the opportunity to join the fight against the pandemic here in Illinois,” Crowe said. “I strongly encourage qualified residents to apply.”

Among the statewide awardees distributed by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is St. Clair County Southwest with a Disaster Recovery Grant totaling $225,200 and Madison County Southwest with an Economic Recovery Grant totaling $1,467,594.

The grants will provide out-of-work Illinoisans with training and employment in jobs that assist local disaster relief programs and industries in high demand amidst the pandemic.

Positions include COVID-19 recovery-related temporary jobs to help mitigate COVID-19 in communities, such as contact tracers, COVID-19 protocol workers, building sanitization workers, temperature screeners, and food preparation and distribution workers identified by local communities.

A full list of COVID-19 workforce training grantees as well as their program offerings is available on the DCEO website.