Grant Will Provide Training for 1,150 Employees at 44 Companies
CHICAGO – Continuing to invest in the skills of Illinois’ working men and women, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced a $175,000 workforce training grant to Southern Illinois University to upgrade the skills of regional companies within the manufacturing industry. The grant will help train nearly 1,150 individuals at 44 companies across the region, including in Williamson, Randolph, Jefferson and Effingham 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 Southern 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 our greatest asset. As the manufacturing industry continues to evolve globally, we must make sure our companies across Southern Illinois stay on the cutting-edge. By making these kinds of investments, we are helping companies throughout 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 is being awarded through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP), to train employees in information technology, technical workplace skills and ISO/safety. 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 $62.5 million to advance the skills of nearly 236,000 Illinois workers at almost 6,000 companies over the last four years.
“The University is proud to participate in efforts to ensure that the citizens of Southern Illinois have the skills needed to adapt in a global marketplace. We thank Governor Rod Blagojevich for his continued support of our efforts to help the companies in this region reach their economic potential,” said SIU President Glenn Poshard.
The grant will be administered by SIU’s Office of Economic and Regional Development (ORED), which works everyday with businesses and start-up entrepreneurs with everything from creating a business plan to attracting equity investments. OERD is part of the statewide Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), a comprehensive network of resources designed to strengthen the state’s capacity to develop small businesses into market successes and help entrepreneurship act as a more dynamic engine of growth. This grant for OERD brings the Governor’s support for the organization to almost $295,000 for job training over the last three years.
“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. The ETIP program continues to serve as an enormous resource for training providers like SIU, which is 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 almost 174,000 jobs, which is best in the Midwest. Illinois led the nation in new job growth in January 2007 with 19,100 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.