Celebration of Excellence Celebrates Career Academy

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Published on April 11 2018 10:50 am
Last Updated on April 11 2018 1:22 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

(THE NEW SIGN TO BE PLACED ON THE SITE OF THE EFFINGHAM REGIONAL CAREER ACADEMY. POSING WITH THE SIGN LEFT TO RIGHT ARE LAKE LAND COLLEGE KLUTHE CENTER DIRECTOR KAREN KULL, EFFINGHAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT AND C-E-O NORMA LANSING, LAKE LAND COLLEGE PRESIDENT JOSH BULLOCK AND ALTAMONT BUSINESSMAN DAVE FREDERKING)

Altamont Community High School Principal Jerry Tkachuk took some of the audience by surprise with his opening statement at Wednesday's Community Celebration of Excellence Breakfast.

Tkachuk said, "Effingham County doesn't dream."

He then clarified his statement, "Effingham County doesn't dream...Effingham County does!"

Tkachuk served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, held in Altamont at Carriage House Event Center. The twice-yearly events are held throughout the county under the leadership of the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with a number of entities including 979XFM and KJ Country 102.3. 

The breakfast celebrated the coming Effingham Regional Career Academy, to be built next to the Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology in Effingham. The Academy is already underway as far as sharing classes between districts to make available a variety of technical instruction.

The big leap forward for the Academy, though, came when the Lake Land College Board of Trustees voted to underwrite the cost of construction of the physical facility, rather than waiting on the State to allocate funding for the project.

Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said design of the Academy will begin within 18 to 24 months. It's hoped construction will begin in 2022 with completion in 2023.

In the meantime, county school districts are making facilities available to house the classes. Courses in areas such as welding and construction trades have been offered for a couple of years.

Bullock said that while the College has agreed to fund the building, those involved in creating the Academy will be looking for partners in the business community to supply expertise as to what courses should be offered and the resources to outfit the Academy.

Studies have indicated the workforce in the construction field is aging and that the number of future employees might not meet the demand. That's where the Career Academy comes in; training young people to meet the needs of employers.

Speakers included Chamber President and CEO Norma Lansing, Bullock, and Altamont businessman Dave Frederking.

You can find out more about the Academy at erca.us and on their new Facebook page.

Here's Greg Sapp's conversation with Lake Land College President Josh Bullock about the Effingham Regional Career Academy...