Employee Training Grant Opens New Opportunities for Will County Manufacturer

Often a silent partner in the training and development of employees, grant funding is nevertheless, a major reason employers are attracted to Illinois. One example is the delivery of meaningful handson training to the Northfield Block Company in Will County.

Joliet Junior College (JJC) was among the training providers that delivered a number of hands-on training programs to Northfield as part of a grant award distributed by the Workforce Investment Board of Will County.

Northfield Block has been a leading producer of masonry products in Illinois since 1949. The training grants provided through the Workforce Investment Board offered Northfield the opportunity to further develop and empower employees through expanded in-depth training.

For example, JJC expanded job opportunities for Northfield Block employees by teaching welding to people with little or no experience in the craft.

"The training was hands-on and practical," said Amy Murphy, director of Corporate and Community Services for Joliet Junior College. "The men who took the training learned a valuable skill that helped both them and Northfield."

Carlos Marshall, manager of production agrees. "The opportunity that the grant provided our employees was broad and most valuable," said Marshall. "Joliet Junior College was key in providing specially designed training for our employees. We were able to improve existing skill sets, as well as introduce some of our co-workers to new skills and expanded job potential."

The Workforce Investment Board of Will County continues to provide this unique training opportunity to Northfield Block and other companies that provide integral workforce opportunities to Will County. As Plant Superintendent, Lyle Krumviede put it, "The benefits to the program are clear to Will County. The employees win, the company wins, and the County wins."

To learn more about the training programs JJC offers to manufacturers and other businesses, call Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418. For more information about the Workforce Investment Board's Employee Training Grant program, contact Mary Gajcak at (815) 727-5679.

JJC Offers a Seamless Career Transition for Area Youth

Interested in Medical Billing and Coding, Denise Johnson moved swiftly through the grant-funded four-month training program offered through Joliet Junior College, and found employment at Rezin Orthopedics. The classroom instruction laid the groundwork for her new career by helping familiarize her with the terminology, application and focus needed to be successful.

Many youth in Grundy County are faced with the difficulty of overcoming obstacles to finding selfsufficient employment. The Young Professionals Network of Grundy County has a vision to help motivated youth reach that goal.

Provided by Grundy Livingston Kankakee Workforce Board and supported through Joliet Junior College (JJC), this grant funded program offers the opportunity for short-term, vocational training that will lead to full-time employment.

"Without the training, I would not have this job. It really prepared me for what I do everyday" said Johnson. Through her diligence, commitment and eagerness to learn, she is well equipped to meet future career success.

Another high-growth program that has been successful for YPN youth is forklift training. As with medical billing and coding, it is designed to take the student from the classroom to the workplace seamlessly.

To date, six young people have completed the Powered Industrial and Fork Truck Certification and now have the technical skills needed for entry-level positions.

Tim is one of the most recent graduates and is now working at Genco, a third party warehouse distributor. Within a few weeks, his supervisor Randy Shepard said, "After completing the additional training required by Genco/Alberto Culver, Tim is learning the warehouse business from the ground up. He is very punctual, and is fitting in well with his new co-workers while learning the basics of the warehouse systems.

He is learning that his accuracy, speed, and problem-solving abilities are the main components to a successful workday routine. We are very impressed with his outstanding ethics, and feel that he has been a positive asset to our working environment."

For more information on these programs, call 815-942-1552.

JJC Wins Best Performance Award for Defensive Driver Training

Corporate and Community Services Director, Amy Murphy (center) receives the Best Performance award for 2006 from National Safety Council Executive Director, John Kennedy, and Vice President, Paulette Moulos during NSC's annual awards banquet on October 13 in Chicago.

The National Safety Council (NSC) awarded Joliet Junior College (JJC) their Best Performance award for 2006. The Best Performance awards are given to those Defensive Driving Course training centers that lead the field in training safer motorists in their service areas.

JJC has been delivering defensive driver training since 1996 and is currently administered by the college's Community and Economic Services division headed by Amy Murphy, director of Corporate and Community Services.

"It is an honor to be among those training centers recognized by the National Safety Council as one of the best performance centers in the country," said Murphy. "We are proud to educate Illinois drivers on the value of defensive driving. It is rewarding and important work."

JJC was given the award at the NSC's 95th annual awards banquet held at the Hilton Hotel in Chicago on October 13, 2007.

Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White, was the keynote speaker and reminded everyone of the importance of driver education in his keynote address. "My top goal, said White, "is to save lives by reducing fatal traffic crashes." Over the past year, White has led the effort to create a more comprehensive graduated driver licensing program in Illinois.

The NSC's Defensive Driving Course program began in 1964 and has 8,000 instructors worldwide. It has graduated over 60,000,000 drivers. JJC trains approximately 12,000 students annually and includes those required by traffic courts to complete this program for moving violations.

For more information on the program, please contact Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418 or amurphy@jjc.edu.

Low Unemployment Drives Need for Trained Workforce

Because unemployment is below five percent, many employers are desperate for qualified people to fill thousands of skilled jobs. In fact, the demand is so strong, the Department of Labor has numerous programs available to help train as many of the unemployed as possible.

For example, in Dayton, Ohio, the Department of Labor (DOL) awarded 96 different groups $47 million dollars to help educate at-risk youth for the construction trades. Graduates of this program will go on to help build affordable housing within their communities.*

Last June, the DOL awarded $41 million dollars to help develop career skills for troubled youth nationwide.**

Pre-employment

As these programs suggest, there is a need to prepare people for highdemand careers before they enter the workforce.

Joliet Junior College has training available to anyone who is unemployed or underemployed. Both short-term and long-term programs are available, and many people can qualify for individual training accounts to help pay for this training.

Employers can tap into this trained pool of workers and hire those people who meet their specific job needs.

On-the-Job Training

While most employers understand the need for on-the-job training, many are unaware of the continued support for it. In some cases, they can receive up to 50 percent reimbursement for this training. This financial support comes from the public workforce system such as the One-Stop Career Center, or the Workforce Investment Board. It is also part of the continued training Joliet Junior College offers to employers.

A highly trained workforce is the key to quality, productivity, and staying competitive. For more information about how Joliet Junior College can help you, call Amy Murphy at (815) 280-1418.

*Department of Labor news release:
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20071522.htm

**Department of Labor news release:
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20070976.htm