Thanks to County Executive Rob Astorino's 'Hire Westchester' job creation program, Primavera Public Relations doubled the size of its staff, hiring five new employees this month. The full-service public relations firm, located in Yorktown Heights, is one of 27 businesses across the county that has hired a total of 80 previously unemployed residents since the program was launched in February. In the first six months of the program, approximately $1.3 million in estimated annual unemployment benefits have been replaced by about $2.3 million in annual salaries paid to the newly hired Westchester residents.

"Our job-seeking residents want a paycheck, not an unemployment check and this program has shown results in making that happen," said Astorino. "'Hire Westchester' has given employers an incentive to expand their business and draw from the talented workforce right here in the county."

Under the program, employers can receive up to 50 percent reimbursement of the first three month's salary of any Westchester resident they hire who is currently unemployed, or reimbursement of up to half their training costs (up to $20,000 per business). Jobs eligible under the Hire Westchester program may be seasonal, part-time or full-time and must pay between $10 and $25 an hour.

Bill Primavera, president of Primavera Public Relations, learned about the program through a meeting with Jim Coleman, executive director of the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency.

"'Hire Westchester' has put me in the fast lane to expanding and growing my business, helping to double my business in half the time it would have taken without access to this dynamic program," said Primavera. "Westchester business owners are fortunate to have the support of Mr. Astorino and his economic development team."

One of Primavera's new hires through the program, Yorktown resident Lorin Guido, had been searching for more than a year for a job in communications. "As a mother of two children, I am thrilled to have found a job locally, in my area of interest and for a company that is growing," said Guido, Primavera's Director of Business Development. "I am so thankful for this opportunity."

'Hire Westchester' is a Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Board program made possible through support from the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency (IDA). The IDA is funded by the fees it collects from corporations that take advantage of low-cost financing.

The Westchester Putnam One-Stop Employment Center will help guide businesses through the steps of recruiting top talent for their available positions, developing a comprehensive training plan, and getting reimbursement for up to half their training costs. Eligible reimbursements include worker's wages for the training period as well as other costs (cash or in-kind) associated with the training such as equipment or room rental (up to $20,000 per business).

Any business interested in saving on their recruitment and training costs and helping their business grow should contact Bob Fois, Westchester Putnam One-Stop Job Developer, at (914) 995-4976 or . For more information, go to WestchesterPutnamOneStop.com/hire.