Strategic Use of Resources
and Workforce Partnerships Unit (CWP)—which has a multifaceted mission and resources that range from the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts to a Workforce and Professional Development Institute and a Career and Job Placement Center.
COMMUNITY AND WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS The CWP unit was part of a broader effort to position the college as a
TRANSFORMING OUR LAKESHORE CAMPUS
hub for education, culture and workforce prosperity. “It was conceived,” says O’Brien, “to bring the college, community organizations and local employers together to achieve that goal.” With this new infrastructure in place, the team forged ahead with program development. “We built workforce relationships, gathered commitments from employers, hosted information sessions for current and prospective students, talked to local workforce boards and contacted community organizations to spread the word about the program,” recalls Dr. Sylvia Johnson Jones, executive director of the CWP’s Career and Job Placement Center. “We also worked closely with CLC faculty members and apprentice employers to strengthen the academic components of the apprenticeships and ensure what was taught in the classroom was relevant in the workplace.”
GRANT-FUNDED APPRENTICESHIPS With a $244,000 grant that originated from the Siemens Foundation, MxD is now partnering with the college to help close the digital skills
The first workforce partners to commit to the program were as diverse as
gap in the Lake County area by aligning workforce training with market
the apprentices they hired.
needs through CLC apprenticeships. The grant will cover tuition fees and some living expenses for students enrolled in automation, robotics
“We have everything from a mom-and-pop machine shop with four
and mechatronics and computerized numeric control apprenticeship
employees to global corporations,” says Apprenticeship Manager Daniel
programs. A portion of the funding also will be used to integrate
Ortego. “Aon, which has made a national commitment to growing its
cybersecurity into the college’s curriculum to support the development
apprenticeship program, was the first to partner with us. Ten other
of a local workforce equipped to handle cybersecurity threats in
workforce partners signed after that, enabling us to offer apprenticeships
manufacturing settings. Because it removes many of the traditional
in five fields of interest: automotive, business, horticulture,
barriers to degree completion and career advancement, apprenticeships
manufacturing and information technology.”
have been a saving grace for the students in our first cohort.
By August 2020, the program was in full swing, with 21 apprentices
Max Lehman, a 30-year-old CLC apprentice at Siemens in Buffalo Grove,
ranging in age from 18 to 59 pursuing new educational and career
is a case in point. Lehman was previously working full-time as a waiter
opportunities in specialties running the gamut from automation, robotics
and trying to squeeze in a class or two as he pursued an associate degree
and mechatronics to cybersecurity and landscape design.
in automation, robotics and mechatronics. He was serious about his
With a nearly $48 million campus renovation and expansion project underway, the college is realizing its vision of a vibrant urban campus serving as an educational and cultural hub for the Lake County community, promoting economic prosperity through workforce partnerships, revitalizing Waukegan’s central business district and providing innovative programming to enhance community health and well-being.
education, but life kept getting in the way. In March 2021, the program got another boost. Manufacturing x Digital (MxD)—which equips U.S. factories with digital tools and expertise
Now he’s working in his chosen field and earning a salary with benefits
and leads cybersecurity and workforce development efforts to ensure
while making steady progress toward his degree as a full-time student.
that digital manufacturing has the security and talent it needs to be
His educational expenses are fully paid, and he receives a stipend to help
effectively deployed—collaborated with CLC to financially support the
with living expenses such as rent, transportation and work clothing.
manufacturing apprenticeship program.
“I feel way more confident about my future now because I’m earning a degree while gaining a skill set that’s in high demand,” says Lehman. “In a
Lakeshore Dean Jesus Ruiz
little over a year, I’ll graduate with zero debt and a full-time job at one of the top companies in the country.”
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