Rend Lake College has named alumnus, Brody Wilson the new Apprenticeship Coordinator.  Brody started his new post effective May 1, 2022. 

After graduating from Rend Lake College he completed a BA in English from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.  Brody returned to Rend Lake College in 2020 working in the Student Records Department as a Records Specialist before making the move to Apprenticeship Coordinator this May.

Brody jumped right into his new role as Apprenticeship Coordinator by registering returning and current Apprentices for their degree path coursework for the Fall 2022 term.  Brody is looking forward to learning more about how Apprenticeships can provide a pipeline of talent to our area employers.  So far, he enjoys interacting and meeting the needs of the Apprentice-Student, helping them navigate and balance college life and work life and promoting registered Apprenticeship opportunities at Rend Lake College.

Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance began an Apprenticeship program with the Illinois Rural Water Association after a referral from Illinois Department of Human Services – Rehabilitation Services. This project helped start a Water Systems Operation Specialist Apprenticeship with five water districts in Central Illinois. The water industry is unique in that it involves the daily responsibilities of public health protection, technical operations, and maintenance of critical but unseen infrastructure. 

It takes more than 380,000 highly skilled water and wastewater personnel to ensure the public supply of safe drinking water and to protect our lakes, streams, and groundwater. Advancements in water treatment and supply technology have increased the skills and training required of individuals in this industry.  Water professionals are ultimately responsible for meeting stringent regulatory standards, replacing aging infrastructure, recruiting and training new operations specialists, and responding to and recovering from disaster.  Jeff Tumiati, the Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Illinois Water Association said, “There is such a workforce shortage and this program has impacted each local community greatly because in two and half years each community will have a Water/Wastewater Specialist that can handle the operations of water facilities and support their infrastructure.

In addition to increasing professional demands, utilities will soon be forced to replace many of their most experienced employees. Over the next decade, the water sector is expected to lose between 30 and 50 percent of the workforce due to retirement.  Many of these employees have worked at the same facility for the majority of their careers and they will depart with decades of valuable institutional knowledge. Due to these issues, Tumiati stated, “Partnering with the workforce system is overall a great deal. This project impacted the apprentices in each community with financial help and resources that we did not otherwise know about. Also, Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance was very easy to work with and helped whenever we needed assistance.”

This innovative project is the perfect example of what the local workforce areas do throughout the State. This apprenticeship has led to the training and employment of five full-time Water Systems Operation Specialists. Their training and education, all due to partnering with Land of Lincoln Workforce Alliance, will impact communities in Central Illinois for many years to come.

 

 

Raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, Nataliya often had to make meals for herself while her mother traveled for work. Back then, food was just something you appreciated having. She never thought it was something she could make her career. Today, at 26 years old, Nataliya has gone from cooking meals at home to working as one of the youngest cooks at the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. When Nataliya first came to the United States at 19, she didn’t have any professional culinary experience. She found herself working a variety of jobs including as a lifeguard and at a gas station to make rent. With encouragement from her wife, Nataliya decided to take the leap and search for a job in the industry she loved. But it was difficult - it was March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic made finding a culinary job difficult. She found a position at a neighborhood restaurant. Soon after she heard about the UHCHI Culinary Apprenticeship program from a friend. Despite the hesitation of balancing the apprenticeship with a full-time job – Nataliya signed up in a heartbeat. “Every day I would come after program, I would do my homework, and I would practice chopping onions and pears at home … It was very challenging, but I felt very supported throughout.” After the 8-weeks were up, Nataliya’s hard work paid off. UHCHI connected her with the RitzCarlton Chicago to apply for a unionized culinary position. After an interview and a tour of the kitchen, Nataliya was offered the line cook position on the spot. Now at the Ritz for three months, is making $24.06 per hour – up from $17 before her UHCHI training. She will soon be eligible for health insurance that covers herself and her wife. According to Nataliya, one of the best things about her UHCHI experience was the ability to enter the workforce trained and debt free. Looking forward, Nataliya has high hopes for her career. With plans to eventually move to Denver and follow her wife to a new job, Nataliya feels confident she can apply to “just about anywhere” that has a kitchen. In time, she plans to use her newfound skills to transition from food service to social service. “Who knows?” Nataliya says. “Maybe one day, I can even be a chef instructor [too].”

Discovery Partners Institute partnered with Cognizant, a Fortune 200 company, and City Colleges of Chicago to create a pre-apprenticeship program, heavily focused on Java, which would lead to an opportunity to interview for a Full Stack Developer Apprenticeship position at Cognizant. Fifteen people, who met the criteria, were selected and started the program. This past quarter, thirteen of the original fifteen selected successfully completed the program, making them eligible for the apprenticeship opportunity.