Two local entities are partnering to bring a lunch and learn event to get feedback about creating a regional Career+ ecosystem.
Jeff Bryan, director of the Iroquois Area Regional Delivery System, recently sent out information about the Jan. 25. event that will be 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 on January 25 at the Iroquois #9 District Office in Watseka to bring together teachers who prepare students for the world of work and the businesses that will ultimately employ our students.
“The Iroquois Area Regional Delivery System works with Watseka, Donovan, Milford, Cissna Park, Crescent/Iroquois and Iroquois West School Districts 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 January Iroquois County Board meeting.
The two groups are collaborating to bring the program to local stakeholders.
The event will include a presentation from Jeffrey Botteron, executive director of K12 and Workforce Initiatives at Skyepack, who will take about how the Greater Lafayette Commerce has partnered with six school districts and a local community college to create a regional ecosystem. This endeavor “has crated a regional ecosystem to support the growing demand for higher skilled employees in the advanced manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and technology industries,” said Bryan 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 single term used to describe the opportunity we believe all students should have to graduate from high school into locally available, in-demand, gateway jobs with employer funded tuition assistance programs,” he said. “And we believe this opportunity will benefit students and our local economy. When students create deep connections with supportive local employers while in high school, graduate and receive support for their educational journey from these employers, and are provided with clear pathways for how they can progress from entry level to higher skilled roles, we know they’ll develop the skills they need to be globally competitive. But, decades of employee retention research reveals that in this supportive environment the majority will choose to stay. And it’s this active choice by students that will make our community a talent hub that helps retain current employers, attract new employers, and inspire the next generation of students to fill the higher skilled roles of tomorrow.”
The agenda for Jan. 25 includes an introduction to Career+, The Case for Regional Ecosystems, Early Lessons Learned, and an audience Q&A.
Bryan says the agenda might be modified to include an industry tour after feedback from regional superintendents is received.
He said that participants will be asked to complete a brief survey after the Jan. 25 event. “This survey will help the Iroquois Area Regional Delivery System and Iroquois Economic Development Association understand participants’ support for further exploration of a regional Career+ ecosystem. If strong cross-sector support exists, participants or participants’ designee will be invited to participate in a ½ 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 ½ 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 who wish to attend are asked to contact Bryan at jsb6540@yahoo.com or Crawford (iedaillinois@gmail.com) by Jan. 23.
