CHICAGO – Building on his Opportunity Returns promise to create a stronger future for businesses and residents in the Southwest region, Gov. Rod Blagojevich today announced the awarding of $80,000 in grants to Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC) in Godfrey. The grants will be used to provide employee training for companies across Madison County and throughout Southwest Illinois, and comes as part of the Governor’s historic Opportunity Returns economic development strategy. As a result of the support, at least 844 local workers at 22 Southwest Illinois companies will receive training at the community college.
“The global economy requires that we have a skilled and productive workforce for Illinois to remain competitive. We can stay competitive by making important workforce investments through Opportunity Returns and making sure the Illinois economy remains strong well into the future,” Gov. Blagojevich said. “We have one of the best workforces in the country, and these investments help to keep it that way.”
The $80,000 in Opportunity Returns support comes as part of the Employer Training and Investment Program (ETIP), which is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). ETIP grants are the next-generation of employer training grants to advance workforce skills to meet the demands of the new global marketplace. Companies throughout the region that are benefitting through this ETIP support include Imperial Sheet Metal in Hamel, Cope Plastics in Godfrey, ConocoPhillips in Roxanna, Prairie Farms and Monterey Coal both in Carlinville. In the Southwest region, ETIP investments through Opportunity Returns total more than $2 million and have trained more than 9,100 workers.
“It’s important for workers to stay abreast of changes in their field. And thanks to Gov. Blagojevich’s support, we are working with local companies to make sure their employees have the skills that are needed in a dynamically changing marketplace,” Dale Chapman, president of Lewis and Clark Community College, said.
Lewis and Clark offers courses on computer skills, industry, business, safety and non-profit training for corporations and small businesses. Other classes have taught local employees technical and workplace skills, quality assurance, standardization guidelines and safety measures. The classes that Lewis and Clark offers help to retain and advance the skills of current employees, as well as provide hands-on training to new employees so Southwest Illinois can reap the rewards from a skilled workforce.
“Lewis and Clark Community College is an important institution for our region and, through Gov. Blagojevich’s support, this college is able to make important contributions in training our local workforce,” said State Senator William Haine (D-Alton).
“Through Opportunity Returns, Gov. Blagojevich is able to make important investments in the Southwest Illinois workforce to create a stronger regional economy. Lewis and Clark is on the front line training the workers from countless companies across the region every day,” said State Rep. Daniel Beiser (D-Alton).
“Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns program is doing more than creating jobs in the Southwest region and statewide; it is also providing important investments to enhance the skills of local workers and improve the quality of life of residents throughout the state,” said DCEO Director Jack Lavin.
The Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) was designed to help keep Illinois workers' skills in pace with new technologies and business practices, which, in turn, helps businesses increase productivity, reduce costs, improve quality and boost competitiveness. ETIP grants reimburse companies for up to 50 percent of the cost of training their employees.
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.