Colleges Offer More Training for Skilled Workers

The economy will be one of the main issues during the campaigning leading up to November’s elections. With the U.S. unemployment rate at 8.2 percent nationally as of May 2012 and Illinois’ unemployment rate at 8.6 percent, many believe there are no jobs available.

However, manufacturers in Chicago’s northwest suburbs have jobs ready to be filled but say there is a shortage of skilled workers. As a result, many factories are filled with machines but no one to operate them.

Harper College is tackling the issue this fall, with plans to prepare students for careers as advanced manufacturing professionals.

“There is so much ‘gloom and doom’ coming out of Washington, D.C. Hopefully, we can help with that problem,” Harper College President Kenneth Ender said.

Ender said the world has changed fundamentally, particularly in how one earns a living.

Partnering with 54 area manufacturers, the partnership would allow students in the new program to gain certification in industry-endorsed skills, which are recognized and accepted by local employers, in less than a year.

Students can earn while they learn and potentially turn their internship into a full-time position.

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