Grant Will Provide Training for More Than 4,200 Employees at 64 Companies
CHICAGO – Continuing to invest in the skills of Illinois’ working men and women, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced a $400,000 workforce training grant to the College of DuPage – Northern Illinois Regional Consortium (NIRC), to upgrade the skills of employees at manufacturers across the region. NIRC represents a collaboration between the College of DuPage, College of Lake County, Oakton Community College, and William Rainey Harper College, which will use this grant to help train 4,218 individuals at 64 companies throughout DuPage, Cook and Lake counties. This funding comes as a part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor’s pro-active, comprehensive economic development strategy designed to spur more economic growth and create even more new jobs across Illinois.
“There’s no greater resource for any business than its people, and there’s no better way to continue expanding our economy than by investing in the skills of people who make Illinois businesses successful. As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve globally, we must make sure our companies across Northeast Illinois and throughout the state stay on the cutting-edge. By working together with these four community colleges in the region and making these kinds of investments, we are helping companies across the region compete at home, across the world and create more high-paying jobs,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is administering the grant, which was awarded through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP), to train employees in IT/computer skills, technical workplace skills, quality-ISO-safety and additional basic skills. ETIP is a new generation of employer-focused, customized training grants created through the “21st Century Jobs” Training Initiative, which reimburses companies and organizations for up to 50 percent of the costs of training their employees. Through this program, Gov. Blagojevich has invested $69.5 million to advance the skills of more than 304,000 Illinois workers at almost 6,000 companies to date.
“In order to help companies across the region stay competitive, we must make targeted investments in our workforce, providing the necessary skills needed to thrive in today’s fast-paced economy. Our thanks to Gov. Blagojevich for his continued support to strengthen the workers in our region to realize our enormous economic potential,” said Meryl L. Sussman, Associate Vice President for Economic & Community Development at the College of DuPage.
NIRC formed in 2003 to address the similarities in regional workplace training needs shared by the four college regions, and better help companies develop their workforce in order to grow and thrive in Illinois. NIRC’s district includes a high percentage of corporate headquarters, as well as almost 9,500 manufacturers and more than 362,800 employees. The programs offered by NIRC, in addition to the individual employee benefit, are designed to allow companies to keep pace with technological innovations, expand to new markets, and enhance the capability of their workforce.
“The Northern Illinois Regional Consortium plays a vital role in ensuring that companies across the region have employees with the right skills for the right jobs. These types of investments are critical to help manufacturing companies throughout the area remain strong and innovative,” said State Senator Susan Garrett (D-Highwood).
“Gov. Blagojevich and I understand for our companies to remain competitive, we must continue to build a highly skilled and trained workforce. This investment will play an important role for the economy in our region, and I thank the College of Lake County for their work in this critical area,” said State Senator Michael Bond (D-Grayslake).
“Investments like these to upgrade the skills of our men and women will go a long way to create a stronger regional economy. We must continue our efforts to advance skills training so our manufacturers stay on the cutting-edge, and I will continue to work with the Governor to make more investments like these,” said State Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Des Plaines).
“Gov. Blagojevich and I have been committed to enhancing the skills of our workforce and supporting the assets that are the most desirable to business. By making investments in collaborative partnerships like the Northern Illinois Regional Consortium, we are helping companies in the region increase productivity, reduce costs and enhance competitiveness in today’s ultra-competitive, global economy,” said DCEO Director Jack Lavin.
Since January 2004, Illinois has gained more than 186,000 jobs, which is best in the Midwest. Illinois led the nation in new job growth in January with 19,100 new jobs and in June of this year with 12,400 new jobs. In 2006, Illinois gained 71,000 new jobs, which is the best calendar year gain since 2000. Over the last 4 years, from January 2003 to December 2006, Illinois had the second largest unemployment rate drop in the nation. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security compiled these statistics.
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.