Effingham Chamber Plans Workforce Development Symposium for Business Apprenticeships

June 13, 2022
Andrew Hecht of Dan Hecht Chevrolet (seated left) and Austin Cheney, Dean of the Lumpkin College of Business & Technology at Eastern Illinois University (seated Right) participated in the Zoom conference presentation on Workforce Development.

This morning the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce hosted a meeting to discuss internships and apprenticeships.  New information from the U.S. Department of Labor and a program that supports our Local Workforce Innovation Area 23, has cut through the “red tape” that we were working to address. 

Participants included (l-r) Jerry Tkachuk, Director of Effingham Education & Regional Extension Centers; Lucinda Hart, President of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce; and Nicole Morrison, Effingham Chamber Director of Marketing.

The Chamber Workforce Development Committee met at 7:30 a.m. at the Effingham Chamber conference room to plan a symposium to educate area businesses and school personnel on the opportunities that are available regarding a robust apprentice program that focuses on three levels of need:  1)Pre-Apprenticeship for upper grade school-junior high students; 2) Youth Apprenticeship program for high school and community college level students; and 3) Registered Apprenticeship program for displaced or incumbent adults.