Effingham Regional Career Academy Board Gets Progress Report

The Effingham Regional Career Academy Board of Directors Wednesday discussed where things stand toward the goal of providing training for careers at area businesses and industries.

Committees have been established to address programs and curriculum, workforce readiness, funding and support, marketing, and operations. The Board is working toward a goal of Lake Land College having building space for the programs in the Fall of 2024. Board Chairman Norma Lansing shared that Lake Land is hiring an architect to design the project and is working on bonding to finance the work, with construction to begin in 2023. The building is to be located along Technology Drive in Effingham near the Lake Land College Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology. Lake Land will offer its own programs in the building, but is planning to accommodate ERCA instruction in the facility, as well.

Work continues on what courses should be offered, the instructors, and the curriculum. It's thought that a meeting of various focus groups in mid-February will help move the process forward.