Two local entities are teaming up to host a lunch and learning event to get feedback on building a regional Career+ ecosystem.
Jeff Bryan, Regional Delivery System Manager for the Iroquois Region, recently sent information about the Jan. 25 event to be held at the Unit 9 District Office in Watseka.
Bryan said in a recent email “The Iroquois Area Regional Delivery System (IARDS) is co-hosting an event Jan. 25 at Iroquois District Office #9 in Watseka to bring together teachers preparing students to the world of work and the companies that will ultimately employ our students.
“The Iroquois Area Regional Delivery System works with the school districts of Watseka, Donovan, Milford, Cissna Park, Crescent/Iroquois and Iroquois West to provide support and funding for programs that prepare students for careers. »
Angel Crawford, executive director of the Iroquois Economic Development Association, also spoke about the event at the Iroquois County Board of Directors meeting in January.
The two groups work together to bring the program to local actors.
The event will include a presentation by Jeffrey Botteron, Executive Director of K12 and Workforce Initiatives at Skyepack, who will explain how Greater Lafayette Commerce partnered with six school districts and a local community college to create a regional ecosystem. This company “has created a regional ecosystem to support the growing demand for more skilled employees in advanced manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and technology sectors,” Bryan said in his email.
The program is expanding to 11 additional school districts in a nine-county region for the 2023-24 school year.
“Career+ is the unique term used to describe the opportunity we believe all students should have to graduate from high school in locally available, in-demand bridge jobs with funded tuition assistance programs by the employer,” he said. “And we believe this opportunity will benefit students and our local economy. When students create deep connections with local employers who support them through high school, graduate and receive support for their educational journey from those employers, and receive clear pathways on how they can transition from From entry level to more skilled roles, we know they will develop the skills they need to compete globally. But decades of employee retention research reveal that in this supportive environment, the majority will choose to stay. And it’s this active student choice that will make our community a talent hub that will help retain current employers, attract new employers, and inspire the next generation of students to fill the more skilled jobs of tomorrow.
The January 25 agenda includes an introduction to Career+, The Case for Regional Ecosystems, Early Lessons Learned, and a Q&A session with the audience.
Bryan says the agenda could be amended to include an industry tour after receiving feedback from regional superintendents.
He said attendees will be asked to complete a brief survey after the Jan. 25 event. “This survey will help the Iroquois Region Regional Service Delivery System and the Iroquois Economic Development Association understand participant support for further exploration of a regional Career+ ecosystem. If there is strong cross-sectoral support, participants or the person designated by the participants will be invited to participate in a half-day strategic planning session. The agenda and objectives for this session will be informed by your responses to the Lunch and Learn survey and a pre-meeting survey that will precede the half-day strategic planning session. The outcome of the strategic planning session will be a strategic plan to guide the implementation of Career+ as a community strategy,” he said.
Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Bryan at jsb6540@yahoo.com or Crawford (iedaillinois@gmail.com) by January 23.
