Illinois Central College Unveils Workforce Sustainability Center
East Peoria, IL (07/26/2023) — On July 26, 2023, Illinois Central College introduced its newly built Workforce Sustainability Center to investors and stakeholders. Attendees toured the state-of-the-art facility and learned how ICC is equipped to prepare the future workforce of Central Illinois. The Center's groundbreaking was in Fall 2021, and the facility represents a unique 4-pronged funding partnership between the federal government (EDA), the State of Illinois, Illinois Central College, and the Illinois Central College Educational Foundation.
The Open House highlighted ICC student Wyatt Rumbold, who recently won first place in the HVACR category at the national Skills USA competition, which showcases the best career and technical education students in the nation. ICC President Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey addressed Wyatt, saying, "This facility stands as a promise to you and others like you who strive to create a prosperous future for yourselves and your families." Illinois State Representative and Speaker Pro-Tem Jehan Gordon-Booth also spoke at the event about the impact this facility will have on our regional workforce.
The ICC Workforce Sustainability Center fills a critical labor market void in our community which will help both first-time students and those who wish to change career paths. The goal of the Center and its essential workforce development programs is to remove barriers and meet students where they are to enable them to earn credentials and change their lives. These programs include HVAC/Geothermal, Solar, Truck Driver Training, Highway Construction, and pre-apprentice programs. This facility and programming education will develop a ready talent pool and expand the workforce, addressing the primary challenge of regional businesses.
The Center is a part of a collaborative, regional effort to address critical workforce gaps, and aligns with other critical regional workforce initiatives like the Workforce Equity Initiative (which has elevated over 600 individuals from poverty into FT Benefited jobs paying nearly $20 an hour in Greater Peoria over the last three years); IT Ecosystem Good Job Challenge Initiative (which provides a $15 million investment in over 1,000 individuals who will earn new IT credentials in our region); and the Choose Greater Peoria Initiative designed to attract management talent and create a positive Peoria attitude in our community. All these initiatives were designed to address workforce gaps and result in a thriving local economy.
This facility will give ICC students the opportunity to complete a degree or certificate in relevant, industry-specific career paths. Stackable credentials open doors to careers that offer a family-sustaining wage. When adults earn credentials with labor market value, they not only change the trajectories of their lives, but also the lives of their families, while growing the workforce, expanding businesses, and creating a more vibrant regional economy. ICC is committed to building a well-trained workforce in Central Illinois and our new Workforce Sustainability Center expands our ability to deliver for our students and our employers.
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Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria, and Pekin, Illinois providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year college or university. For more information on ICC, visit icc.edu.
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