For Immediate Release Sept. 18, 2007 Contact: Lynn Whalen, 217.786.2219 Lincoln Land Community College announces new pre-apprenticeship program targeting underserved populations Cooperative effort involving LLCC, local labor unions and Springfield Chamber SPRINGFIELD -- Lincoln Land Community College has introduced a new education program to address the shortage of skilled workers entering into union apprenticeships. The “HIRE Education: Pre-apprenticeship for Construction Careers” program is a pilot effort to attract and prepare students to enter the union trades. Minorities, women and non-traditional students are especially targeted for this program. HIRE is an acronym for “Helping Insure Readiness for Employment.” The program is made possible through a $300,000 grant from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Twelve to 15 students will attend the intensive, seven-week course that addresses math for the trades, job readiness skills and technical skills. Four weeks is spent in the classroom and three weeks in a laboratory setting studying such topics as shop safety and tool safety. The six-hour per day classroom section of the course is taught at LLCC’s East Springfield Learning Center (ESLC), 1507 East Cook Street. The first session of the pre-apprenticeship program began yesterday, Sept. 17, and runs through Nov. 2. The program will be repeated in the spring and summer semesters. Students successfully completing the course would be prepared to enter into a union apprenticeship. “Through our agreement with local labor unions, graduates of the HIRE Education program will be given thoroughly prepared to enter into a union apprenticeship,” said Julie Rourke, LLCC workforce development program coordinator. “To be accepted into the program, students must be at least 19 years old and have earned a high school diploma or GED. We are working with LLCC’s adult education program, the Veteran’s Administration and other agencies to identify candidates for this exciting new program.” "This program will lead the way in providing men and women within this community the skills needed when applying for membership within the construction crafts,” said Bradley Schaive, Business Manager, Laborers' Local 477 and chairman of the Basic Crafts Council of Mid-Central Illinois. “The inside knowledge of the various crafts and skills needed for each trade can be obtained from this cutting edge education while giving students a chance to select a career from the many international unions." “We see this as an exciting opportunity to grow our community’s workforce and offer individuals opportunities for stable, lifelong careers in the trades,” said Gary Plummer, president of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “This is an important initiative within our current Q5 campaign for economic growth.” LLCC President Charlotte Warren, Ph.D., concurred. “We are very pleased to be working in cooperation with the Chamber’s Q5 partnership and local unions to open up these opportunities, especially for underserved populations in our area. We sincerely thank all the union and Chamber representatives who have helped us solidify this agreement and shape this innovative new learning experience.” Unions represented in the agreement include Iron Workers Local #46, Sheet Metal Workers Local #218, Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons Local 18 of Central Illinois, Painters District Council #58 Plumbers, Steamfitters and Refrigeration Fitters Local Union #137, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 193 AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union #916, Laborers’ International Union of North America Local #477. Information sessions about the HIRE Education Pre-apprenticeship program have been held over the past several weeks, with a number of interested individuals attending. For those interested in enrolling in the spring pre-apprenticeship program which begins Jan. 23, information sessions will be held on the following dates in November at the LLCC East Springfield Learning Center: Monday, Nov. 5, 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, 1-2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, 1-2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, 10-11 a.m. More information is available by calling Ms. Rourke at 416.4409.
Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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