By Samantha Joseph

Staff writer

MARTIN COUNTY - A state-funded program that already granted about $5.7 million to 51 local companies to create hundreds of jobs could add more than a dozen participants.

The Florida Back-to-Work program this month awarded grants to Martin County businesses to create 261 jobs. It pays for the salaries of new hires in the program, and requires participants to cover benefits, taxes and 4 percent of the cost of bringing on the new employee.

Thanks in large part to an effort by the Business Development Board of Martin County to encourage participation, the response was so quick that administrators of the program got approval from state officials to accept additional applications for possible funding.

Workforce Solutions, the state-chartered agency that is administering the program, accepted 14 new applications, said Odaly Victorio, the group's spokeswoman.

"So many businesses expressed an interest that we needed a second round of applications," she said.

If approved, the companies could add 14 employees, for a total of 275 jobs created in the county through the program.

"It would mean hundreds of paychecks circulating in the economy," said Ron Bunch, executive director of the Business Development Board, the area's economic development arm.

"It's not a one-time fix."

Applicants include nonprofits, public sector businesses and private sector companies, with several of the new positions in sales or customer service.

"With more people working, we can hopefully get the economy back on track," Ms. Victorio said.