Grant Will Provide Training for 232 New and Existing Employees
CHICAGO – Continuing to invest in the skills of Illinois’ working men and women, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today announced a $68,000 workforce training grant to Sterling Steel, LLC, a manufacturer of steel rods based in Sterling. This grant helped the company, who has invested $10 million to upgrade its Rod Mill, including the addition of a new Billet Welder, train 9 new and 223 existing employees. This funding comes as a part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor’s pro-active, comprehensive economic development strategy designed to spur economic growth and create jobs in Northwest Illinois.
“There’s no greater resource for any business than its people, and there’s no better way to expand our economy than by investing in the skills of our workers. By making these kinds of investments, we are helping companies like Sterling Steel compete at home and across the world and create more high-paying jobs,” Gov. Blagojevich said.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is administering the grant, which is being awarded through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP), to train employees in technical and workplace skills; quality and safety training; and improve computer skills. Employees are represented by the United Steelworkers Local #63. ETIP is a new generation of employer-focused, customized training grants created through the “21st Century Jobs” Training Initiative, which reimburses companies and organizations for up to 50 percent of the costs of training their employees.
“My thanks to DCEO and the State of Illinois for providing this essential support to ensure our workforce can compete in today’s global economy,” Andy Moore, Sterling Steel’s General Manager said. “This grant has allowed us to improve the skills of more of our dedicated and hard working employees than we would have been able to do absent the State’s assistance.”
“Gov. Blagojevich and I have been committed to enhancing the skills of our workforce and supporting the assets that are the most desirable to business. The ETIP program continues to serve as an enormous resource for companies such as Sterling Steel, which is helping them increase productivity, reduce costs and enhance competitiveness in today’s ultra-competitive, global economy,” DCEO Director Jack Lavin said.
Gov. Blagojevich recently announced that Illinois added 31,100 new jobs in July, which was the best in the nation that month. This is the second time this year Illinois has created more new jobs than any other state, which has never happened before in recorded history. Illinois also led the nation in job growth in April. The total number of new jobs created this year is 75,200, which is the best start to a year since 1998 and more new jobs than any Midwest state. Since January 2004, Illinois has gained more than 150,000 new jobs, which is also best in the Midwest. The Illinois unemployment rate has been below or the same as the U.S. unemployment rate since May 2006, the first time this has happened in seven years. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security compiled these statistics.
Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history. Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges. Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.