Work Progresses on Regional Career Academy

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Published on August 11 2016 8:55 am
Last Updated on August 11 2016 10:04 am
Written by Greg Sapp

(THE EFFINGHAM REGIONAL CAREER ACADEMY HAS APPOINTED ITS 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS. MEMBERS ARE {front row, left to right}: MARK DOAN, EFFINGHAM UNIT 40; BILL FRITCHER, TEUTOPOLIS UNIT 50; JEFF FRITCHTNITCH, ALTAMONT UNIT 10; MARK PROBST, PROBST AUTO BODY; CARY JACKSON, DIETERICH UNIT 30 {second row, left to right} STEVE MILLER, CITY OF EFFINGHAM; BOB SCHULTZ, CTEC REPRESENTATIVE; JOE FORBES, VERSATECH L-L-C; NORMA LANSING, EFFINGHAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; DAN WOODS, THE ALLIANCE; ROBIN BROWN, THE EQUITY; GARY PHILIPPE, EASTERN ILLINOIS EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENT SYSTEM; KAREN KULL, LAKE LAND COLLEGE KLUTHE CENTER; ALEX HAGLER, WAUPACA FOUNDRY; AND GERRY SCHLECHTE, LOCAL W-I-O-A 23 {not pictured} GREG FEARDAY, ST. ANTHONY SCHOOLS; DR. JOSH BULLOCK, LAND COLLEGE PRESIDENT; WES MUELLER, IRWIN TELESCOPIC SEATING; STEVE WENDLING, DIRECT LINES; SCOTT CAMERON, BEECHER CITY UNIT 20 SUPERINTENDENT; TONYA GRIFFITH, HEALTH CARE; KAREN LUCHTEFELD, EFFINGHAM COUNTY BOARD; JULIE WOLLERMAN, REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION)

The Effingham Regional Career Academy continues to move forward with its plans to create pathways to sustainable employment and supply a highly skilled labor force for east central Illinois employers. The Career Academy recently appointed its inaugural Board of Directors and established four working committees to develop plans for the operations, funding, workforce readiness, and programs and curriculum.

The Career Academy, a partnership of area businesses, schools, chamber of commerce, state and local government and various community stakeholders, elected its executive committee at its recent meeting. Officers are: Jeff Fritchtnitch, president, Altamont CUSD #10, Joe Forbes, vice president, Versatech LLC, Josh Bullock, secretary, Lake Land College and Norma Lansing, treasurer, Effingham County Chamber of Commerce.

The four committees and co-chairs are: Programs/Curriculum, Cary Jackson, Dieterich CUSD#30, Jon Althaus, Lake Land College; Workforce Readiness, Karen Kull, Lake Land College Kluthe Center, Alex Hagler, Waupaca Foundry; Operations Jim Hull, Lake Land College, Bill Fritcher, Teutopolis Unit 50; and Funding Support, Mark Probst, Probst Auto Body, and Micki Vandeloo, Versatech.

Other members of the board of directors include:  Dan Woods, Effingham Regional Growth Alliance, Bob Schultz, Schultz Investment Company, Wes Mueller, Irwin Telescopic Seating Co., Steve Wendling, Direct Lines, Robin Brown, The Equity, Scott Cameron, Beecher City Unit 20, Greg Fearday, St. Anthony Schools, Gary Philippi, Eastern Illinois Education for Employment Services, Laura Sullivan, Eastern Illinois Education for Employment Services,  Mark Doan, Effingham CUSD#40, and Tonya Griffith, HSHS St. Anthony’s. An IT representative will be appointed.

Ex-officio members include: Karen Luchtefeld, Effingham County Board, Steve Miller, City of Effingham, Gerry Schlechte, Local WIOA Area 23, JoAnn Givens, Effingham County Chamber of Commerce, and Julie Wollerman, Regional Office of Education.

Newly appointed Board President Jeff Fritchnitch said the program is being designed to attract high school students as well as incumbent workers. “By expanding our traditional education system, students and adults alike are given access to reaching their full potential through building and engaging in valuable and practical new skill sets.” said Fritchnitch.

Fritchnitch explained that while the group continues to work toward funding a new facility as an expansion of the Lake Land College Kluthe Center, efforts are underway to identify collaboration within existing high school programs so that students across Effingham County will have access to a wider variety of vocational programs starting in the Fall 2017.

“Local school districts are being proactive in developing additional avenues to share resources by developing programs that are open and available to all county students and avoid a negative effect on learning as individual school districts will have fewer staff and financial resources to continue offering the programs within individual school districts,” said Fritchnitch.

Adult learners will also benefit from the board’s work to identify needed workforce readiness skills certificate programs and technical skills training that will strengthen innovation, competitiveness, new partnerships and prepare citizens for increased employment opportunities.

At the board’s last meeting the Programs/Curriculum reported that members of the committee are completing research to identify two adult programs by December that can be   implemented in the Fall of 2017. School districts are identifying two existing vocational programs that can be delivered to all county students by Fall 2017. Members continue to visit benchmark vocational programs in the Midwest such as Bradley Technical High School in Milwaukee, WI and Vincennes University to gather ideas for the career academy.

The Workforce Readiness Committee has identified six certificate areas for Workforce Readiness or soft skills, and are preparing a skills gap survey of area employers and a quality of life survey to be distributed broadly to gather input from county residents.

The Funding Support Committee announced that it has received its first donation from proceeds of a recent LEAN workshop hosted by HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital and the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce. The committee is tasked with developing a funding plan by January 1, 2017 to secure financial and material support to ensure the Effingham Regional Career Academy can be sustained to operate and expand programs and services. Both public and private support are being sought.

(THE INITIAL CONTRIBUTION TOWARD THE EFFINGHAM REGIONAL CAREER ACADEMY WAS $4,500 GENERATED BY A RECENT "LEAN" PRESENTATION HOSTED BY H-S-H-S ST. ANTHONY'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND THE EFFINGHAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE PRESENTATION WERE {left to right} MARK PROBST, CAREER ACADEMY FUNDING SUPPORT COMMITTEE; CHARLIE BOVARD, H-S-H-S ST. ANTHONY'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL; JEFF FRITCHTNITCH, CAREER ACADEMY BOARD PRESIDENT; DR. RYAN JENNINGS, H-S-H-S ST. ANTHONY'S MEMORIAL HOSPITAL; AND MICKI VANDELOO, CAREER ACADEMY FUNDING SUPPORT COMMITTEE)

The Operations Committee reported that committee members are gathering policies from other vocational programs.

The board of directors meet the third Wednesday of January, April, July, and October at 2:30 p.m., Unit 40 Board offices.

Individuals who would like to make a donation or who would like to become involved in the start-up of this vocational training center may contact Norma Lansing, President & CEO of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce at 217.342.4147 or by email at  nlansing@effinghamcountychamber.com.