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Au gus t 26 , 2014 • $1 .0 0
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Jacobs’ Van Vlierbergen set for big season / C1 NWHerald.com
THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
THE RIGHT SKILLS? Need for manufacturing workers still prevalent
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Murder suspect arrested in LITH Sought by police in downstate incident By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com
H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Apprentice Adam Hoambrecker of West Dundee finishes stamping die on a milling machine Monday at Kenmode Tool and Engineering in Algonquin. Despite lingering unemployment, there are some skilled area jobs that manufacturers and others have a hard time filling. Kenmode is a manufacturer of custom precision metal stampings for the automotive, medical device, electronics and insert molding industries.
By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com Adam Hoambrecker, 29, of West Dundee, makes a shim die that will be used inside of the Algonquin business Kenmode Tool and Engineering. The apprentice uses a mill to dull the edges so they aren’t sharp. “We use it all the time, so you don’t want to cut your hands on it,” Hoambrecker said. Being a machinist has always interested Hoambrecker, who is one of two apprentices working at Kenmode. “People in manufacturing won’t take you seriously without a journeyman’s card,” Hoambrecker said. “Having the five-year apprenticeship lets the company know that you’ve had all the training. You could learn only so much in school. A lot of it is hands on.” Finding qualified workers for skilled jobs can be difficult at
times, and employers are looking for candidates with experience. “There are people who are well experienced that unfortunately come from companies that ran into financial issues and business issues. They are considering new opportunities,” said Bob Denley, human resources director for Kenmode. “We haven’t had a lot of younger talent yet. That’s what we’re trying to generate.” Denley said there are a limited amount of tool and die students, so companies sometimes have to compete for those young workers. “We have been very fortunate to attract candidates who do have an interest, but they are also in great demand. There’s always a lot of competition out there,” Denley said. At Kenmode, which makes metal stamp parts for the automotive industry and medical
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Having the five-year apprenticeship lets the company know that you’ve had all the training. You could learn only so much in school. A lot of it is hands on.” Adam Hoambrecker Apprentice at Kenmode Tool and Engineering
industry, among other fields, the apprentices are full-time employees and are working toward a certificate. Both of Kenmode’s apprentices learned about the program through Elgin Community College. “We’re trying to [get] them up to tool and die maker status,” Denley said. Apprentice Rob Brekke, 20 of St. Charles, has two more classes to complete at ECC. He currently works in Kenmode’s production area, and makes sure the machines are running smoothly. He said he believes tool and die makers will be in high demand. “I think a lot of people will be retiring,” Brekke said. “There’s a lot of demand. You need people to make the dies. Without people making the dies, there’s no mass production. There’s going to be a lot of spaces to fill.” Brian Johnson is the training director at the International
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“We have been very fortunate to attract candidates who do have an interest, but they are also in great demand. There’s always a lot of competition out there.”
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 117 based in Crystal Lake. The organization has a fiveyear program with about 20 apprentices learning the electrical trade while working for various businesses. During the program, the apprentices work in the field with a contractor and at night they go through classwork, and labs, Johnson said. Johnson added apprenticeships are important. “It goes back to the original way people learned a skill,” said Johnson, who gave the example of people who learned how to be blacksmiths. In the five-year program, apprentices receive 8,000 hours of on the job training, and 900 hours of classroom time. “You’re learning a trade for working with hands,” Johnson
See SKILLS, page A4
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“There’s a lot of demand. You need people to make the dies. Without people making the dies, there’s no mass production. There’s going to be a lot of spaces to fill.”
Bob Denley
Rob Brekke
Human resources director for Kenmode Tool and Engineering
Apprentice at Kenmode Tool and Engineering
WOODSTOCK – A 29-year-old Chicago man wanted for a downstate murder was apprehended Monday in McHenry County. On Aug. 13, police in Galesburg, in west central Illinois, began investigating an altercation that left one man with severe stab wounds. The victim later died Aug. 17, and an arrest warrant for Christopher L. Croom was issued out of Kane County. McHenry County Undersheriff Andrew Zinke said that during the Galesburg altercation, bystanders attempted to help the alleged victim, when Croom pulled a gun on them. Christopher L. The deceased was iden- Croom tified in the Galesburg Register-Mail newspaper as 49-year-old Melvin G. Buckner. Croom is a reported gang member and federal parolee. According to federal prison records, he was released July 25. It’s unclear what brought him to the 2700 block of Impressions Drive in Lake in the Hills, where he was arrested abut 10:30 a.m. Monday. A handgun was recovered during the arrest. Croom was charged locally with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He also faces that same charge in Knox County. He remains in custody at the McHenry County Jail until arrangements are made for his extradition, Zinke said. His bond on the murder charge is set at $1 million. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Apprehension Unit worked with U.S. Marshal Service and Galesburg Police on the arrest.
Biden, Christie in Illinois for governor’s race By SOPHIA TAREN The Associated Press CHICAGO – The closely watched race for Illinois governor got a high-profile boost Monday with Vice President Joe Biden fundraising for Gov. Pat Quinn and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stumping for the Chicago Democrat’s challenger, Republican Bruce Rauner. Biden and Christie waded into issues that have been campaign themes on both sides: Biden highlighted ef- On the Web forts to raise the minimum wage while Christie blastFollow the ed Democrats in power and local, state and questioned the motivation national races behind Illinois’ same-day at NWHerald. voter registration law and com/election. the state’s certified ballot. Christie, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, scrutinized the timing of Illinois’ voter registration measure, which takes effect for the Nov. 4 election, and the State Board of Elections’ recent decision
See ILLINOIS, page A4
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