In 2013, Shawnee Health developed a “grow your own” program addressing the need for more healthcare staff to serve the community in their Clinical Behavioral Health (Counseling) department. Shawnee hired individuals with a Master’s degree in Social Work or Psychology, requiring at least two (2) years of supervised experience to sit for a licensing exam.
In 2024, Lake County Workforce Development piloted an expansion of the successful parent mentor program. Parent mentors were offered the opportunity to return to the workforce and to be paid as an intern within the school district.
In the heart of East Central Illinois, a remarkable transformation is unfolding—a quiet revolution led by a consortium of visionary entities committed to reshaping the economic landscape.
The LLWA state-funded, innovative, sector-based, manufacturing project in collaboration with IMEC was designed to engage, attract, and retain employees by delivering occupational, workforce, management, leadership, and DEIA trainings.
Shaquita Blanks began a job as an Account Specialist with a large manufacturing company in early 2020, participated in training for three weeks, then was sent home to work remotely due to Covid. She worked from home for over a year before the company began laying off workers.