Education & Workforce Development

DeKalb County affords numerous comprehensive workforce development services and has initiated career development programs to recruit and train workers for current and future jobs.

Why job training? 10 Myths about Training Within Industry Job Instruction (IMEC)

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Northern Illinois University | Kishwaukee College | Kishwaukee Education Consortium | Illinois workNet Center | Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

***Current Courses/Development Opportunities***

DeKalb Chamber Members-Jobs, Careers, Employment Postings

DCEDC News & Media – Upcoming Events/Opportunities

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Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University (NIU) located in DeKalb, is a prominent economic engine in DeKalb County. NIU’s economic impact on the northern Illinois region is estimated to be $895 million. The university routinely partners with industry and national laboratories on cutting-edge research and product development.

NIU is also partnering on community development initiatives, including the STEAM Center with the City of DeKalb; enhancing arts, culture, and entertainment with DeKalb Arts Council; and innovation & entrepreneurship initiatives with #ProudlyDeKalb.

NIU Career Services
Career Services professionals actively guide students in securing internships and job placements with local businesses, and in enhancing their work experience through the Job PLUS Program.

NIU Quick Facts
NIU Regional Campuses
Colleges, Schools, & Departments

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40Tude Business Flyer FINAL 8.28

Kishwaukee College

Kishwaukee College logo – Color: Green

Kishwaukee College (KC) is a two-year community college located approximately five miles west of DeKalb in Malta. KC offers five transfer degrees as well as occupational degrees and certificates. KC assists students with internships and job placement while providing businesses with a well-prepared and capable talent pool.

KC also operates the DeKalb Illinois workNet Center, located off-campus on Peace Road in DeKalb. It assists job seekers by providing valuable guidance in career changes, job searches, and reemployment, as well as enrollment in education and training classes. Check out this month’s Services and Activities!

Kish is Helping Local Businesses Manage-Visit their website for offerings, to help the business community’s changing needs. Kishwaukee College Business Community Information

About Kishwaukee College
Academic Divisions
Career Technologies
Adult Education & Transition Programs

Google IT Support program

FA20 KISH ICWS EMPLOYER

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (Feb. 2021)

Four Short-Term Training Programs in Summer 2021 (May – September): Pharmacy Technician, Sterile Processing Technician, Dental Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician

FA20 KISH ICWS EMPLOYER AD_CHAMBER BLAST

ComEd has a new Economic and Workforce Development website.

Economic & Workforce Development Here

Link to Summer 2021 Internships at ComEd

2021 Summer Internship Jobs Fliers_ComEd

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Kishwaukee Education Consortium

The Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC), located on the KC Campus in Malta, offers career and technical classes to more than 450 junior and senior high students, with dual credit available for no charge to students in 17 different award-winning classes. Classes include Automated Engineering Technology, Building Trades, Computer Information Systems, Diesel Power, Mass Communications, and Welding.

Current KEC Partners include DeKalb CUSD #428, Genoa-Kingston CUSD #424, Hiawatha CUSD #426, Sycamore CUSD #427, Rochelle CUSD #231, and Kishwaukee College.

Illinois SBDC at Waubonsee Community College

In partnership with Kishwaukee College

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network serves thousands of entrepreneurs, start-ups, and second-stage small businesses throughout Illinois every year. The services provided by Illinois SBDCs, SBDC International Trade Centers (ITC), and Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) set the stage for personal and professional growth, which directly impacts our local economies for the better.

The SBDC at Waubonsee Community College is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Through the SBDC, small business owners, both prospective and existing, can obtain essential management, marketing, and financial coaching. We offer no-cost one-on-one coaching and a wide variety of low-cost events and workshops to help make your business a success.

Business Killers & Starting Your Business in Illinois Free Courses

Illinois workNet Center

The local Illinois workNet Center, located in DeKalb, provides job seeker and employer services in conjunction with Kishwaukee College. Jobseeker services include computer access, job search assistance, on-site job placement, and financial aid for training. Employer services include assistance with finding qualified candidates, pre-employment assessments, customized training, and on-the-job training programs that provide hands-on training with up to 50% reimbursement to employers for as long as six months of the wages.

Illinois workNet Center

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) provides access to resources and services for individuals looking to develop skills for successful employment and to employers in need of skilled workers. Additionally, WIOA provides better access to education and workforce services for those who may encounter employment obstacles, such as veterans, individuals with disabilities, out-of-school, or at-risk youth.

Kane/Kendall/DeKalb Workforce Development Services
DCEDC partners with the Kane/Kendall/DeKalb Workforce Development Board, whose board members are appointed by the participating County Board Chairmen. The Workforce Development Board assists and advises local elected officials regarding the use of Federal workforce development funds. The Board provides services to ready the workforce for employment through federally-funded programs under WIOA.

KC WIOA Youth Program
Kishwaukee College students, who are residents of DeKalb County, can potentially qualify for services under WIOA to support and assist them with their education and training if they meet the income and eligibility requirements.

U.S. Dept. of Labor WIOA website

Please see the attached flyer dedicated to the WIOA grant. For those who may not know, The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Grant (WIOA) is a federally funded grant geared towards assisting individuals with gaining the proper experience necessary to become skilled professionals in these days and times. Through this grant, we can provide support to individuals 18 years of age and older with their educational goals, gaining career skills through career-focused workshops and also funding. We provide funding for training up to $10,000 for covered programs. This grant comes at no cost outside of investing time in completing our multi-stage intake process.

SU20 WIOA WORKS FLYER

WIOA GRANT INFORMATION

The DeKalb Workforce Development Office will be re-opening Monday, February 1st!

Please see the attached flyer for more information. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at 815-901-0177 or reach out via email to abriggs2@kish.edu.

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Resource room and limited in-person assistance will be resuming Monday, March 1, 2021, complete with drop-in hours.

Drop-In Beginning announcement (1)

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce is offering weekly webinars. Check out the website-https://www.dekalb.org/

IMEC is offering a series of webinars of tools and procedures for this time of uncertainty-link to the IMEC webinars

Important Information for our Manufacturers from IMEC

IMEC Advances Manufacturing

NEW-Advanced Manufacturing Technology Services!

January 2021 News and Resources

March “Partners in Progress” Webinar Series from IMEC

Manufacturing month may be over, but the march to ignite manufacturing careers in Illinois remains. Throughout October, manufacturers shared how the industry has impacted their lives, to raise awareness of the many opportunities in manufacturing and to inspire the next generation of the workforce to join an indispensable industry.

Let IMEC be your trusted resource for all aspects of your business. View the complete list of events on the IMEC Events Page, or scroll below to register today!

The Help You Need, NOW!
Every day seems to present a new challenge for manufacturers. At IMEC, we have launched several new ways to help Illinois manufacturers get the support and answers they need quickly. Those resources include: Illinois Manufacturing Helpline – Need quick, credible responses to urgent questions and concerns? Submit them to the Helpline and an expert will address your concern in as little as one business day! Manufacturers Discussion Forum – An opportunity to share best practices and solutions with − and ask questions of − other leaders and experts who are experiencing and overcoming similar crisis-related challenges. Supplier Preparedness Support – There are over 20 critical supplies needed to respond to COVID-19. If your company currently does or can quickly begin production, please let us know. This information will be shared with critical stakeholders such as the US Department of Commerce, DCEO, and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. Match with a Supplier – Resource for companies experiencing supply chain disruptions and looking for suppliers to fill their needs. Complimentary Webinars – The COVID-19 Response Webinar Series features sessions to help Illinois manufacturers address the challenges and concerns in this ever-changing situation. The featured topics are informed by questions submitted to the Illinois Manufacturing Helpline and feedback from manufacturers. COVID-19 Blog Collection – Timely articles related to the best ways to respond to COVID-19, written by IMEC experts and industry partners. Topics range from supply chain planning, cybersecurity, employment law, marketing, safety practices, tips and highlights from the Illinois Manufacturing Helpline, and more. COVID-19 News & Updates Page – Updated resources, news, webinar downloads, and tools. We encourage you to take advantage of these valuable resources and share them with your industry peers. IMEC has always stood for helping manufacturers overcome challenges and forge new paths to success. And, with this crisis on hand, we couldn’t be prouder to serve Illinois manufacturers. Let us know how we can help!

Our manufacturers are facing complicated challenges right now and need all the support they can get.

The recently launched Illinois Manufacturing Helpline is available for manufacturers to get in touch with an expert who can address their questions or concerns within one business day.

We encourage you to share this valuable resource with your manufacturers to provide an extra avenue of help in their time of need. As we are all learning the “new normal,” let us continue to be a source of support for our manufacturers, so they can continue to be a rock for their communities.

If you would like to collaborate on this initiative to help our manufacturers respond to business disruptions, please do not hesitate to get in touch!