The four community colleges in northwest Illinois are valuable institutions for helping the regional economy grow. Highland, Sauk Valley, Kishwaukee and Rock Valley colleges all are playing a most important role.
In some areas, job growth is quite significant . There's growth in industrial positions, food-based industries and logistics – that’s distribution and shipping. With job growth pretty hot in much of our part of the state, there is now strain at many area employment agencies. Finding qualified workers has become quite a task. In some places, one can ask any employment agency how the job market is and be told, "We currently cannot meet the demands of our industry clients in finding them workers they need."
So, community colleges are increasingly targeting their educational mission to skills that growing companies most need. Some examples are welding, electrical maintenance, health care, general factory maintenance, computer operating systems, machinists, truck drivers, and more.
Community colleges have put "skills-based" educational programs in place, and soon a new pool of workers -- with the skills area companies badly need -- will be ready. Rock Valley College, for example, opened a facility at the Rockford Airport to teach jet-repair skills. Soon, nearly 1,000 people will be needed at the new jet repair hub at the airport.
NIU is one of the best Illinois institutions for higher learning, law, business, accounting, etc.. But, for the immediate nuts and bolts of having workers ready to fill increasingly more skilled job openings, the community college system is more valuable.
I'm Phillip LeFevre, and that's my perspective.
