Career Spark!: Another great Career Spark is in the books. The 8th annual career exposition, a joint venture of GPEDC and our wonderful partners at Junior Achievement of Central Illinois was better than ever (and I’ve been involved in 7 of 8). Over the course of two days, we welcomed over 4,200 students who came from 76 schools in 11 different counties. I talked to the principal of Tri-Point Junior High in Piper City (in Ford County) after they got off a two-hour bus ride to participate. Pretty amazing. How do you showcase over 100 career pathways to about 1,050 kids in each wave? With great sponsors and lots of volunteers – 443 to be exact. These ranged from industry volunteers showing kids what their profession is like to volunteers helping to greet buses and get students into the experience. A big shout out to everyone who helped, and in particular, the staff of Junior Achievement and GPEDC. Jeffrey and Sara work year-round with the JA team to pull this off, but the event itself is an “all hands on deck” sort of thing for GPEDC. Every available staff member had a role to play (sorry if we were slow to be responsive to emails this week). We had a nice media story by WMBD that you can watch here – just ignore the fact that they called us the “Greater Peoria Partnership.” You can see plenty of pictures posted by staff and volunteers on social media. I think Jeffrey Inman of GPEDC has posted nearly a dozen stories on his accounts for you to check out. Planning for 2025 starts in about a week.
Good News Week: It’s been a pretty good week for news. First, on Monday, Komatsu broke ground on a new $30 million building on their campus. Interestingly, it isn’t a new manufacturing center but a new engineering building. Hopefully, it’s no longer a secret that Komatsu employs over 100 engineers in Peoria and conducts research and design for mining trucks across the Komatsu family. There is a lot of good coverage, but here is one example. Second, our friends at NFW announced they’ve been selected as one of 15 finalists for the Earthshot Prize, a prestigious recognition of companies whose products and technologies make the earth a better place to live. NFW’s Steve Zika joined me on the Greg & Dan Show this Monday (listen here), and Earthshot unveiled a really great video about NFW’s amazing work (watch here). Finally, on Thursday, Gov. Pritzker was in town to announce a $1.7 million grant to Harvest Market, a planned full-service grocery store on Western Avenue on Peoria’s Southside. Pastor Chuck Brown and his team have been working on this idea for the past three years, and this funding – combined with planned support from Peoria County and the City of Peoria – will finally bring those plans to fruition. This isn’t just a good local news story: Food insecurity impacts public health and personal resiliency which ultimately translates into workforce readiness issues. This is a development we can all celebrate. There is some good coverage here.
Manufacturing Marketing Campaign: This week, Illinois launched “Make It In Illinois,” the state’s first manufacturing marketing campaign. This $5 million campaign aims to revitalize Illinois’ manufacturing sector by attracting new talent and changing perceptions about careers in manufacturing. The campaign seeks to showcase the modern face of manufacturing in Illinois, highlighting the industry’s technological advancements, career growth opportunities, and vital role in the state’s economy. By giving the public an insider’s perspective on manufacturing, the initiative aims to appeal to a new generation of workers, including recent graduates, career changers, and those seeking meaningful employment. Check it out and share!
Agri-Food Workforce: Dorsey attended the inaugural Illinois Agri-Food Workforce Summit hosted by the Illinois Agri-Food Alliance and the Office of Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton in Chicago and the first day of the event included a reception with a panel of high school students enrolled in agriculture programs, as well as agriculture-focused associate degree students. Students spoke about their interest in agriculture careers and the impact of school programming on their outlook for potential careers in the space. On the second day, all participants engaged in brainstorming activities covering three topics: Shifting Perceptions to Attract the Next Generation, Building Stronger Education and Industry Alliances, and Advancing Diversity and Equity in Agri-Food Workplaces. Participants ranged from high school ag teachers to industry professionals, higher education professionals, and government professionals. The keynote speaker was Sanah Baig, deputy under-secretary for research, education, and economics at USDA. Information from the summit is being compiled and will be shared with the next steps.
Have a great weekend.
Chris