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As the fiscal agent to LWIA 23, Lake Land College has received a commitment of funding from Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity in the amount of $89,000 for the Apprenticeship Expansion Grant – Navigator 2.0.
The grant funds will be used to hire a Business Services Specialist who will also serve as the apprenticeship specialist in Economic Development Region 7. Apprenticeship Specialists are an essential component to the Apprenticeship Illinois framework as they work directly with businesses to cultivate and launch new US Department of Labor-registered apprenticeships.
Workforce partners across Local Workforce Innovation Area 23 form the LWIA 23 Business Services Team which supports the expansion of apprenticeships in the region and offers accessible workforce development services to local employers. The Business Services Team is comprised of partners spanning the thirteen county region. The participating partners are: Local Workforce Innovation Board 23, Lake Land College, Kaskaskia College, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services, Effingham Regional Growth Alliance, IMEC, and more.
We are hiring for a new Business Services Specialist! Our apprenticeship rockstar, Nate Carlson, is relocating out of state and we are sad to see him go. Nate has made tremendous progress in developing Registered Apprenticeship Programs and we need to keep the momentum going!
The new Business Services Specialist will continue to build capacity and support the business ecosystem in key industry sectors, just as our current Apprenticeship Navigator, Nate, has for the past year. The new Business Services Specialist will work at the regional level, being the key point of contact in our area for the expansion of registered apprenticeship programs. The Business Services Specialist will build relationships with regional employers to expand the use of all workforce services, including apprenticeships as a work-based learning strategy. The Business Services Specialist will build and maintain effective sector partnerships among businesses, the workforce system, education/training providers, and other stakeholders through application of Talent Pipeline Management® strategies. The primary objective of the Business Services Specialist is to be the point of contact for the Business Services Team, especially for apprenticeship development and Talent Pipeline Management practices.
The goal of the project is to develop at least ten new apprenticeships, expand existing apprenticeships, and to overall raise awareness of workforce development Business Services that are available to local employers through outreach and promotion. The Business Services Specialist will focus on apprenticeships and sector partnerships in EDR 7’s most in-demand industries (based on Labor Market Information and the EDR 7 Regional Plan): Healthcare; Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; Education; Construction; and Manufacturing.
With a dedicated Business Services Specialist in the region, more registered apprenticeships will be established and thus strengthen our local workforce through work-based learning experiences. For more information on the Apprenticeship Expansion Grant - Navigator 2.0, the job opening for Business Services Specialist, or workforce development needs, please contact Jamie Corda Hadjaoui, Director of Workforce Investment/LWIA 23: jcorda12886@lakelandcollege.edu
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