March 05, 2018

Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $935,000 for Local Workforce Development in Manufacturing in Chicago Heights

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $938,447 in federal funding to Prairie State College to help create good-paying jobs in manufacturing and support economic growth in Chicago Heights, Illinois. The funding will be used to support local workforce development efforts by providing on-site job training at employer and community organizations across Cook County. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) anticipates that the grant will create 350 jobs, save 100 more, and leverage $8.5 million more in private investment.

“This investment in workforce development and job training will help provide hardworking Americans with the tools they need to secure a good-paying job in manufacturing and support their family,” said Duckworth. “I look forward to working closely with Senator Durbin to secure investments like these to bolster American manufacturing and strengthen local economies.”

“This funding is an investment in our workforce, our economy, and our country’s future,” Durbin said. “As the largest and most affordable sector of the nation’s higher education system, community colleges are uniquely positioned to help close the skills gap, put people back to work, and fill critical shortages at growing businesses and manufacturers.”

Today’s funding is provided by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program, which helps regions struggling with adverse economic changes through both planning and implementation grants. These regions may be affected by catastrophic natural disasters, environmental changes and the sharp declines in employment that come when military bases close and manufacturing plants shut down. This grant will assist Prairie State College in the purchasing and installation of equipment and other platforms to contain a mobile workforce training center specialized in welding and machining.