Waubonsee Partners with the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center to Address Needs of Area Manufacturers through Skilled to Build Grant
Waubonsee Community College was recently awarded one of eight Illinois Skilled to Build grants in the amount of $50,000 from the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC). Waubonsee is matching with an additional $50,000 for a total project budget of $100,000.
Participants will receive instruction on-site at their workplace facilitated by Waubonsee’s highly trained English language acquisition instructors. All materials needed for instruction are provided free of charge. Waubonsee’s district has a large pool of English language learners who offer a possible solution to the staffing needs of area employers as demographic data shows that unemployment tends to be higher in areas where English is not the primary language spoken.
The project's other priority is to provide individuals with limited work history an opportunity to explore all that the manufacturing sector has to offer through paid work experience. These micro-apprenticeships will introduce participants to the wide scope of career opportunities available through manufacturing by providing valuable on-the-job experience and industry exposure. These work opportunities are funded through the grant and will benefit employer partners by providing a temporary employee at no cost to them. At the end of the micro-apprenticeship period, the employer partner can hire the individual as a regular employee or move forward with a new placement.
Teaming Up With Toyota to Ignite Futures for Students
Waubonsee alumnus Javier Galvez never imagined he'd return to the Sugar Grove Campus with so much influence just three years after graduating. As Toyota's Field Technical Specialist for Central and Southern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana, Galvez ignites futures for WCC students as an employer partner.
"Waubonsee has created a heavy name that carries a lot of weight in the automobile industry," said Galvez. "So much so that my bosses see how I am, and I get to show my company how Waubonsee breeds students like me. The best part of my job is that I get to offer students an opportunity to work in the field,” said Galvez.
After graduating from Waubonsee in 2020, Galvez transferred to Southern Illinois University (SIU) to earn a bachelor's degree in automotive technology. After that experience, Galvez was offered a job at Toyota and promoted to a role in the Chicago Regional Office.
In this role, Galvez is actively engaged as a member of Waubonsee's Automotive Technology Employer Advisory Board. His efforts of introducing Toyota's training program to students are reaping significant benefits for hundreds of aspiring technicians, as this credential can help them stand out when interviewing for jobs.
It feels awesome to come back to Waubonsee and work with the amazing instructors to create training opportunities that lead to high-paying careers for the students.”
– Javier Galvez
Waubonsee’s Adult Education Programs Unlock Greater Economic Opportunities for Our Community
Waubonsee Community College serves a diverse community of learners comprising over 450,000 residents across a 624-square-mile geographic area encompassing 22 municipalities spanning urban, suburban, and rural regions. The college offers dual credit classes to high school students who wish to earn college credit while still in high school. College credit is recorded on the student's permanent college transcript, regardless of their grade. Last year, Waubonsee's dual credit program proved highly successful.
Dual credit classes can help students who plan to attend college achieve their goals faster and with less financial burden. These classes offer both high school and college credit simultaneously and can be taken at the student's own high school or at one of Waubonsee's four campus locations, where the student can avail of a 30% discount. Upon completion of the course, students receive both high school and college credit, laying the foundation for their future college journey.
Our goal in Adult Education is to empower our students to overcome the challenges they face, achieve their educational goals, and open a path to greater opportunity. The skills we teach are essential to economic security and upward mobility.”
- Adam Schauer, Dean for Adult and Workforce Education
"I love taking the English conversation classes at Waubonsee," said Adriana Salazar, owner of Elements Beauty Salon in Plano. "As a business owner, it is important that I can build relationships with those in my community. The classes have given me the confidence to communicate with my clientele and build trust effectively."
Anna Patricia Gomez, of Batavia, said she chose to pursue her education at Waubonsee for several reasons. "I wanted to communicate effectively to express my ideas, feelings, and needs clearly and directly,” said Gomez. “In addition to learning English, it's allowed me to meet people from different parts of the world and learn about their cultures."
Northern Trust Cybersecurity Apprenticeship
Waubonsee partnered with Northern Trust to strengthen its cybersecurity workforce by developing a cybersecurity apprenticeship program.
“Northern Trust is proud to establish our first cybersecurity community college partnership with Waubonsee,” said Brian Olson, Chief Information Security Officer, North America, for Northern Trust. “It’s exciting to offer local students the opportunity to work in and learn from a worldwide operation like ours, in a field that is growing exponentially in both demand and importance.”
In order to be eligible for the paid apprenticeship, students must be enrolled in Waubonsee’s 60-semester-hour Cybersecurity Associate in Applied Science Degree program. In addition to preparing students for entry-level cybersecurity jobs, the program also prepares them for a variety of industry certifications, including, but not limited to, CompTIANet+, A+ and Cisco CCNA.
Tree Campus Higher Education Recognition
For the 13th consecutive year, Waubonsee Community College has earned the Tree Campus Higher Education recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.
Currently, there are 403 campuses across the United States with this recognition. Waubonsee is committed to promoting sustainability and improving the environment. Receiving the Tree Campus Higher Education recognition is evidence of this commitment.
