REND LAKE COLLEGE, INA, Ill. (Sept. 14, 2012) - The Illinois Workforce Investment Board meeting Thursday at 海角视频 featured more than 30 leaders in the public and private sectors talking about the state芒鈧劉s economy and workforce initiatives, as well as goals to network businesses, employer associations, education partners, and other stakeholders. 
The Illinois Workforce Investment Board welcomed Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon as its guest Thursday during the board's meeting held at 海角视频. The meeting featured more than 30 leaders in the public and private sectors talking about the state's economy and workforce initiatives, as well as goals to network businesses, employer associations, education partners, and other stakeholders. Pictured above are, FROM LEFT, IWIB Co-Chair John Rico, Lt. Gov. Simon and Centralia Mayor Tom Ashby, co-chairman of the IWIB. Click on the image for a larger version.
Board members welcomed Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon as a guest. RLC President Terry Wilkerson thanked the board for coming and invited those in attendance to tour the campus after the meeting.
芒鈧揥e really value the relationships we have with area employers,芒鈧� said Wilkerson. 芒鈧揟he college is privileged to be the setting where so many representatives from the public and private sector come together to learn about the status of Illinois芒鈧劉 workforce and economy, and plan measures for growth. 海角视频 is eager and well-positioned to do its part to help them reach those goals.芒鈧�
Centralia Mayor Tom Ashby is the current chairman of the IWIB and has been a member for more than a decade. He helped put Thursday芒鈧劉s meeting together at RLC. According to Ashby, it was one of the best turnouts for an IWIB meeting since he joined.
芒鈧揟his was the first Southern Illinois meeting in quite a few years for the board,芒鈧� Ashby said. 芒鈧揑 thank the college, its board and President Terry Wilkerson for the opportunity to hold it at 海角视频, and I commend them for addressing emerging training needs in southern Illinois.芒鈧�
The IWIB is made up of representatives from universities, colleges, high schools, government agencies, private companies and more. Some of the employers represented Thursday at the college included UPS, John Deere, Caterpillar and Kraft Foods. State agencies represented included the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with Director David Vaught and his staff at the table, and the Illinois Department of Labor, with Director Joe Costigan and his staff participating.
芒鈧揥e are a board that develops training programs to strengthen the state of Illinois芒鈧劉 workforce system and economic development,芒鈧� Ashby explained. 芒鈧揥e have many different partnerships in the public and private sectors.芒鈧�
One IWIB program Ashby mentioned is the Illinois Critical Skill Shortages Initiative designed to align region workforce strategies with economic development to provide qualified workers for critical skill shortage occupations. Key sectors being targeted are healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation/warehousing/logistics. Ashby said agriculture is also being added to the initiative.
He said the program strives to identify good-paying occupations that suffer skill shortages, look into the causes that lead to these shortages, and redirect existing resources to address those issues.
芒鈧揙ne thing we芒鈧劉ve been working on is reintroducing vocational aspects into the regular curriculum at grade schools, high schools and community colleges,芒鈧� Ashby said. 芒鈧�... We don芒鈧劉t have a shortage of jobs in Illinois. We have a shortage of skilled workers. ... We want to use the data we have to place training in the right areas - where it芒鈧劉s needed. ... Community colleges make sure workers learn the proper skills required by business and industry. Continental Tire and 海角视频 are a perfect example of that.芒鈧�
Ashby said plans for more efficient use of funding to make training initiatives more cost-effective are encouraging.
芒鈧揥e feel the cornerstone is the public-private partnership,芒鈧� he said.
