Manufacturing
ManufacturingWorks
A project of the Board, the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development and Instituto del Progreso Latino, ManufacturingWorks was launched in 2005. Partners are working together to assess job skills, screen potential employees, facilitate lean manufacturing and other customized training systems, assess and recommend pre-employment training, provide funding resources and offer a broad variety of business consulting services. ManufacturingWorks is also launching specific skills training programs, such as computer numerical control (CNC) and welding and transition workers who have lost their jobs into new careers with companies demanding higher-level skills, paying better wages, and better positioning themselves to compete in the global manufacturing environment. Over time, ManufacturingWorks will also focus on career advancement.
Contact ManufacturingWorks at 773-696-0160, or visit www.chicagomfgworks.com.
Manufacturing Workforce Summit
In May of 2003, CWB held a regional Manufacturing Workforce Summit to kick off our work in the manufacturing industry. The summit was led in partnership with eight other Workforce Boards covering the 11-county Chicagoland region, Candy Institute/Food Chicago, Chicago Manufacturing Center, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Federation of Labor, Greater North Pulaski Development Corporation, Illinois Manufacturers Association, Lake County Partners, Management Association of Illinois, McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, Printing Industry Association of Illinois and Indiana, Three Rivers Manufacturing Association, Tooling and Manufacturing Association, Valley Industry Association, and World Business Chicago. Two hundred and fifteen representatives from manufacturing, government, organized labor, education and others met to development solutions for manufacturing workforce challenges. Strategies resulting from this summit included the creation of ManufacturingWorks (above), as well as investments in training and career awareness programs.
Critical Skill Shortages Initiative
Working with the other Workforce Boards in the Northeast region as part of the Illinois Critical Skill Shortages Initiative (CSSI), the Chicago Workforce Board developed a number of strategies designed to improve the pipeline of skilled manufacturing workers. In the metropolitan Chicago region, over $1.7 million in state funds has been invested in the first round of funding to implement creative solutions aimed at addressing the manufacturing industry’s workforce needs. An additional $2 million in leveraged and redirected resources were also committed to these initiatives. Four hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars have been specifically directed to projects within the City.
Career Awareness
The Chicago Workforce Board is also interested in initiatives to increase awareness and interest in manufacturing careers. For the 2005-2006 school year, CWB worked with the Tooling and Manufacturing Association (TMA) and Chicago Public Schools to develop a campaign to inform 9th grade students about career opportunities in manufacturing. The purpose of the campaign is to give CPS students current information on well paying, high tech manufacturing jobs, and encourage them to enroll in the CPS Education-to-Careers (ETC) manufacturing programs. This project hosted student and teacher workshops, demonstrated equipment and distributed brochures, posters and other materials on the manufacturing industry. Over 1,100 CPS students and their teachers were provided current, exciting information on manufacturing to encourage students to pursue an educational path in this industry.