For a limited time, you can access free online Information Technology (IT) and Job Readiness courses from top institutions with Coursera. Coursera is an online learning platform offering certificates and degrees through online training.
These training opportunities will boost your skills and experience and give you an edge when applying to IT job openings in Illinois.
Be sure to register for these courses by October 31. Complete the courses by December 31, 2020 to earn your certificates.
To access Coursera for free, create an account by visiting the Get Started with Coursera page on Illinois workNet.
Follow Illinois workNet on Social Media:
Join World Business Chicago and the DMDII to Learn How the Region is Addressing the Manufacturing Skills Gap and the Development of a Highly-Skilled Workforce!
Manufacturers need to fill more than 30,000 open jobs across the Chicago region from Niles and Aurora to Lansing and Libertyville. World Business Chicago’s (WBC’s) 1000 Jobs for Chicagoland Manufacturing campaign is building on the region’s existing workforce system to match job seekers with those employer needs.
On July 23rd from 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), 1000 Jobs and supporting partner DMDII will host Digital Manufacturing and Workforce: Looking at Our Local Industry's Future. The event will include an interactive panel discussion – moderated by David Boulay, President of the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) – on the intersection of advanced and digital manufacturing, workforce development, and a firsthand look at the technologies driving factories of the future. Other topics to include:
Manufacturers will also have the opportunity to tour the DMDII facility and hear about ways that they can get involved with the Institute. Since 1000 Jobs launched last year, nearly 300 residents have received training or jobs in the industry.
WBC’s 1000 Jobs, led by a consortium of 40 manufacturing industry leaders in partnership with dozens of additional organizations, will place 1,000 qualified job seekers on career pathways in manufacturing, and link residents who need additional skills to training and apprenticeship programs resulting in full-time employment. This strategic collaboration strengthens the Chicagoland economy, addresses the national skills gap in advanced manufacturing, and gives residents access to good paying jobs in advanced manufacturing.
To save your spot, visit the DMDII/1000 Jobs Panel Discussion website.
If you subscribe to our news, you have already read about Functional and Chronological resumes. Our latest article covers the third major type of resume, combination, in “Would you like to make that a combo?” If you have had several different positions whose job duties overlap, a combination resume may be right for you. Also included in the article is information on what is included in a combination resume, how different positions might have similar functions, and what all to include in this type of resume. Check out the article to get all this information, a sample resume, and a resume guide!
Here's a sneak peak of what the article has to offer!
Do you need to write a resume but don’t have much work experience or have a great deal of experience? Learn all about functional resumes in the Illinois workNet article Form and Function for Your Resume. Functional resumes focus on your skills, not your experience. You can emphasize what you have done in previous positions, whether they are volunteer or in the workplace. Form and Function for Your Resume can tell you all about these things and more!
Functional Resume Overview (PDF)
Functional Resume Example and Areas (JPEG)
Illinois workNet wants to make sure our users know about all of the tools and resources to help you successfully use our site. We are continuing on in our webinar series and have scheduled six more sessions! See the list of webinars below and click on the title to get to the registration page:
Networking and Connecting Tools Webinar
March 12, 2015 10:00 AM
This webinar will review locating Illinois workNet Centers and Partners near you, using the Event Calendar, finding student and trade associations, and using social media. All of these items are needed to use networking as a job search tool.
Employment 101 Webinar
March 18, 2015 10:30 AM
This webinar will walk users through the Employment 101 tool and how to use it to plan out your path to achieving your goals. With Employment 101 you can create and use a Career Plan, Job Search Plan, and plan to Achieve Your Goals.
Find Work Support Tools and Services Webinar
March 25, 2015 10:30 AM
This webinar will cover the Updates & Help menu of Illinois workNet that includes news and updates, FAQ, glossary, download and print, success stories, and related articles, videos, and resources!
Employers Programs and Tools Webinar
April 1, 2015 10:00 AM
This webinar will review tools available to employers on Illinois workNet for hiring and recruiting employees. We will also look at programs that can help employers off-set hiring and training costs.
Layoff Assistance Resources and Tools Webinar
April 7, 2015 10:00 AM
This webinar will review the resources and tools available on Illinois workNet for employers and workers that have been or will be affected by a layoff.
jobPrep Mobile App Webinar
April 15, 2015 10:00 AM
This webinar will walk users through the jobPrep app. Learn how you can use the mobile version of the Illinois workNet website anywhere and anytime you need it. You can download the app from Google Play, Apple App Store, and Amazon.
Writing an elevator speech can be difficult. Let the Illinois workNet team help you! Our newest article includes details on what an elevator speech is, what should be included, and how to deliver your elevator speech. It even includes an example and resources to help you write your own! If you are searching for a job, attending networking events, or meeting new people, an elevator speech can be your go-to conversation opener. Take the time to read through the article so you can create your elevator speech today!
Infographic source: http://ylakeland.com/
Make sure to check out the other articles throughout the site for help on specific topics. We have articles that cover resume writing, adult education, financial aid, using social media, budgeting, and much, much more!
Day of Service Will Mark the Beginning of the Year of the Volunteer
CHICAGO – The Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Serve Illinois) today encouraged people across Illinois to take part in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 19, 2015.
"Doctor King said that, 'Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" Serve Illinois Executive Director Scott McFarland said. "Illinoisans answer this question each day by helping their neighbors and their community. Volunteerism is the answer."
The Day of Service will also mark the beginning of the Year of the Volunteer with the theme of "You are the difference." Volunteerism throughout Illinois will increase during the year by celebrating community service and connecting and strengthening the already extensive network of organizations involved in service. In Senate Resolution 1002, the Illinois Senate designated the Year of the Volunteer, which is sponsored by Generations Serving Generations, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, the Illinois Department on Aging, Serve Illinois, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board and more than 100 organizations and businesses committed to civic engagement.
Anyone interested in volunteering on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service can visit Serve.Illinois.gov to find more than 100,000 volunteer opportunities throughout Illinois and in bordering states. Volunteers can search based on location or area of interest, as well as by web-based, ongoing or one-time volunteer opportunities.
Serve Illinois is also accepting nominations for the annual Governor's Volunteer Service Awards. These awards recognize individual volunteers and businesses that support community service in order to honor those who provide selfless service to the state and to highlight the importance of volunteerism and community service in Illinois.
Nominations are due to Serve Illinois by January 31, 2015. A ceremony to honor recipients will be held on April 20 at the Executive Mansion in Springfield. Visit Serve.Illinois.gov for information about individual awards, past recipient bios, and nomination forms.
Illinois workNet has a long history of collecting customer feedback. Please participate to ensure the new Illinois workNet website meets your needs!
The Illinois workNet portal system is in process of being updated and redesigned. For users, examples of the changes include new:
Attend this webinar to see the changes and let us know what you think!
Register today: https://worknetredesign-feedbackneeded.eventbrite.com
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is providing its 2014-15 Annual Financial Aid Certification Program, an annual certification series of training modules on helping students with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and staying current on the financial aid process. Trainings are offered at sites across the state and one will be held at Midstate College on October 17th.
East Peoria Robo Raiders is a First Tech Challenge (FTC) team comprised of some of our region’s brightest and best students. These kids are not your typical teenagers. While other students their age may be focused on playing the latest Xbox 360 games, Robo Raiders design those very same video games. From learning new computer programming and languages to utilizing electricity and engineering to solve real life business challenges, these kids are clever to say the least. In fact, the East Peoria Robo Raiders recently received a provisional patent on the Rising Aqua Detector Device they developed. Pretty impressive for a group of 7th, 8th and 9th graders.
Every school year Robo Raider’s design, build and program their own robot prototype to meet a national First Tech Challenge. Student team members work with adult mentors twice a week throughout the school year culminating with a series of competitions. Through professional presentations explaining their innovative ideas to industry leaders and competitive robot field games, Robo Raiders compete with similar FTC teams at regional, state and national levels.
Last year, the Robo Raiders team developed an actual working prototype of a Rising Aqua Detector (RAD) to warn drivers when it is unsafe to drive into a flooded street. Once the water reaches an unsafe bumper level for a vehicle, an LED (light emitting diode) corresponding to each inch of water under vehicle blinks the LEDs and sounds a buzzer.
What is the next step for these mind sport enthusiasts? Robo Raiders is planning to promote their Rising Aqua Detector Device to car and emergency vehicle manufacturers and car component manufacturers. These successful students put new meaning to the term “driven”. To see their pioneering device in action, simply click on the following links:
Aqua Rising Detector
For more information about East Peoria Robo Raiders, mentoring opportunities and business sponsorships, please contact Randy Dray at Randy.Dray@hotmail.com.
In conjunction with the annual Discover Manufacturing Career Expo, local manufacturers and educators will be gathering on September 30th, for the annual Educator’s Day. Administrators, counselors and teachers from over 30 high school will meet with local manufacturers for a day of networking to continue the effort of emphasising specific career pathways and opportunities available to our region’s youth. This day serves as a bridge to connect local manufacturers with our educators in order to provide information on how they can help each other help our students through curriculum / certificate opportunities, specific partnerships and overall transparency of our region’s ever-growing manufacturing industry.
For more information on this year’s Educator’s Day, please contact:
Judy Dietrich
College and Career Readiness Coordinator
JDietrich@icc.edu
309.695.5212