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Project
GATE: Growing America Through Entrepreneurship U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has initiated this innovative
demonstration project, The Growing America Through
Entrepreneurship, or Project GATE, with Administrator Hector
Barreto of the U. S. Small Business Administration to help emerging
entrepreneurs in rural and urban communities achieve the American dream of
owning their own business. Economic freedom is the foundation for
individual success and prosperity.
Project GATE supports economic freedom through promoting individual
entrepreneurship. Project GATE seeks to
energize local small business creation and help diverse urban and rural
populations create, support and expand small businesses by: ü Teaming
Department of Labor training and assistance programs with Small Business
Administration (SBA) loans; ü Partnering
with faith-based and community based organizations, ethnic organizations, and
local community businesses in extensive community outreach efforts; ü Providing
nine million dollars ($9,000,000) in funding over five (5) years to support two
urban and four rural project sites in the states of Pennsylvania, Maine, and
Minnesota. Project Components and Sites This
project will leverage existing initiatives into one
easy-to-access and comprehensive program.
U. S. Department of Labor One-Stop Centers will be the focal point for
Program GATE including: §
General and
specialized business development and training programs §
Micro loans
through the SBA micro loan program §
Assigned
business counselor to provide individual business counseling sessions § Individual training accounts and needs-based payments established by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Act § Services to assist limited English proficiency participants
Project Timeline
§
Toll free
information number, 1-866-677-GATE (Operational August 29, 2002) §
Community
outreach efforts to commence in October 2002 §
Site specific
project designs, based upon community needs, to be provided between November
2002 and February 2003 §
Candidate
Screening begins March 2003 §
Project will
be fully implemented at all sites by July 1, 2003 Additional Information
Since August 29th,
individuals interested in obtaining additional information on how to
participate in Project GATE may call toll free 1-866-677-GATE (4283).
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