Vermilion Advantage has taken steps to strengthen the career advisor process. For the past six years, Kim Kuchenbrod, the Workforce Development Consultant at Vermilion Advantage, has been providing career advising at Danville High School. Each year the organization learns more and refines the process to serve more students by connecting them to job shadowing, internships, and full-time local jobs. This year, Vermilion Advantage began expanding the process to county high schools. An executive for a local manufacturer has been on loan to Vermilion Advantage for two days a week to “advise” at Georgetown and Hoopeston High Schools. In just a short time, this approach has proven fruitful and they are eager to continue to grow the process. Vermilion Advantage is now bringing someone new to phase into Kim’s role and to continue to grow out in the county.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Grant
Danville Area Community College and Vermilion County Works secured a WIOA grant in the amount of $358,665 to create short-term training opportunities to prepare individuals for employment in manufacturing. Their vision is to offer a program that is driven by input from local manufacturers with the flexibility to create a unique training environment to meet individual employer needs.
They are implementing this employer-led, short-term, competency-based training to meet the regional demand for qualified, work-ready employees in the manufacturing sector. The Industrial Career Pathways (ICP) program will include 70+ hours of training. Upon successful completion, the individuals will be awarded the ICP Certification from Danville Area Community College which includes the competency-based SMT training (40 hours), nationally recognized certificates from ToolingU (20 hours), and OSHA certification (10 hours). Upon completion of the 70 hours, students will complete the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate.
The ICP grant targets 75 individuals and will pay for training costs, supportive service costs, on-the-job training for individuals wanting to work in manufacturing as well as incumbent worker funds for skills upgrading of your current workforce.
