BUILD A CAREER!
BUILD A FUTURE!
Connecting Real People with Real Jobs
Will County is rapidly changing...Obvious are the new housing developments and the increased retail and commercial business presence. Less obvious is the economic growth coming from the influx of global-minded companies leveraging Will County’s geographic transportation strength; the intersection of railway, waterway, highway and air transportation systems. With this growth come jobs.
Yet, through local focus groups we learned that present day manufacturing job information is either mostly erroneous or completely lacking. The actual facts are:
- The turn of the century images of dull, dirty, dangerous, and monotonous manufacturing assembly lines are no longer valid.
- Present day advanced manufacturing processes are modern, high tech, and demanding.
- Contrary to national media reporting, manufacturing jobs in Will County remain steady while the number of distribution jobs in Will County is increasing.
Moreover, current employer projections indicate a shortage of qualified skilled workers.
- While not all manufacturing and distribution careers require a 4-year degree program, most require high school students to pursue the same rigorous academic standards.
- Logistics is an emerging career area, and it involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material-handling, and packaging. Thus, requiring highly skilled labor. To compete globally, companies increasingly need people trained in logistics.
A local initiative is under way to raise awareness of career opportunities in manufacturing and distribution in Will County. By exposing educators, students and parents to the types of careers, the pay scales, and the required academic skill-levels needed, more students with hands-on learning styles and scientific interests will be prepared to meet the demand.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOUR SCHOOL?
- Validates learning objectives and goals with real world examples and demonstrations.
- Brings a broad pool of talented, qualified real-world resources to the classroom.
- Benefits both college and non-college bound students by providing a diversified range of positive and rewarding career options.
- Provides the opportunity to instruct students on today’s global economy using local company examples.
- Develops partnerships with the business community that can be used to enhance instruction and increase awareness of the educational needs.
- Provides professional development opportunities for teachers (CPDUs).
- Encourages the corporate community to increase grant, scholarship and intern opportunities for students and teachers.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOUR SCHOOL
Access to educators and students
Outside of the manufacturing and distribution industries, the advanced manufacturing processes and job opportunities are relatively unknown.
To be successful, we need to raise awareness about manufacturing careers
and related fields:
- Place the Dream !t Do !t® program on the Institute Day agenda – allow us 30 minutes to brief your staff.
- Provide one classroom period per year where students are introduced to the Dream It. Do It. website and allowed an opportunity to explore.
- Add the Dream !t Do !t® website link to student, informational computers and the district website.
- Include a brief paragraph about the Dream !t Do !t® program in a district or school newsletter complete with URL.
Build a partnership with local industry leaders
Schools are the critical link between students and future employers. We need your partnership commitment:
- Include the manufacturing and distribution business community in career fair and job awareness activities.
- Select classroom teachers to begin building the partnership with business professionals who will provide classroom speakers or hands-on demonstrations.
