MT. VERNON – Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today visited Continental Tire’s Mt. Vernon facility to announce the awarding of a nearly $800,000 workforce training grant to one of the largest suppliers of original and replacement automobile tires in the U.S. The grant comes as a part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor’s pro-active, comprehensive economic development strategy designed to spur the economy and create jobs across Southern Illinois. The grant is being awarded through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) and will be used to upgrade the skills of all 2,070 workers at the company’s Mt. Vernon facility.
“We’re here today to make an investment in a high-quality company with high-quality workers. Our state’s world-class workforce will continue to help Illinois companies compete and thrive on the global stage, as long as we provide them with the resources needed to stay on the cutting-edge. Continental Tire is not only a major local employer, but a key contributor to the economic vitality of Southern Illinois, and this training grant will act as a vital tool to help it stay on top,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) is a new generation of employer-focused, customized training grants created through the “21st Century Jobs” Training Initiative. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) administers the ETIP grants, which reimburse companies and organizations for up to 50 percent of the costs of training their employees. Continental Tire will train all 2,070 of its existing employees in a variety of areas, including fork-lift operation, workplace safety and computer software training.
“This support from Gov. Blagojevich gave us the critical resources needed to increase our worker productivity, helping us become more competitive by providing continuing education for our employees. For our Mt. Vernon plant to remain competitive in the global economy, each employee must be working to his or her fullest potential, and this training grant is playing a major role in helping us accomplish that goal,” said Hank Eisenga, plant manager of Continental Tire in Mt. Vernon.
“Workforce training grants like these are critical to helping companies like Continental Tire stay competitive so they can create and retain jobs,” State Rep. Kurt Granberg (D-Centralia) said. “Gov. Blagojevich continues to show his commitment to investing in the skills of our workforce to realize the immense economic potential of Southern Illinois.”
Over the past two years, Gov. Blagojevich’s Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) has provided more than $1.5 million to Southern Illinois companies to boost the skills of nearly 6,000 workers.
“In today’s global economy, the needs of business are constantly changing. Gov. Blagojevich understands that the best way to help Illinois businesses compete and thrive is to provide pro-active and aggressive support that allows them to meet those ever-evolving needs and stay one-step ahead in the marketplace. By providing businesses with on-demand resources to train their workers in cutting-edge technologies, the ETIP program is doing exactly that,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Continental Tire’s Mt. Vernon plant has been in operation for 31 years and produces about 10 million tires annually.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.