Peoria, Ill — Illinois Central College in Peoria wants to educate more future I.T. pro’s for local businesses, but — ICC says it needs millions in grant money to make that happen…and they need your help.
Officials with ICC say the school is seeking a $15 million grant, but needs local businesses to reach out and tell them which I.T. jobs need to be filled and how many.
According to a news release, The grant would fund a program called the “Hired! IT Workforce Accelerator” project.
It will help ICC and its partners design training and educational programs to be delivered at no cost.
These programs will certify individuals to meet employers’ current and future IT staffing needs and fill critical workforce gaps.
“Findings from the survey will aid us in creating a sustainable IT educational infrastructure to provide high-skill credentials required by the industry,” said ICC President Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey.
Companies will communicate their workforce needs so that education and training programs can be developed to fill those positions; they would then commit to hiring credentialed completers based on those needs.
ICC and its partners will submit the project for a federal Good Jobs Challenge grant funded by the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
Awards range from $5 to $25 million.
Illinois Central College says with both new jobs and jobs vacated due to retirement and turnover, the Greater Peoria region is expected to experience 1,049 IT job openings each year through 2026, according to Emsi data.
Currently, less than 40 percent of individuals over the age of 24 have a post-secondary credential while 60 percent of jobs require a credential beyond high school.
Companies interested in bringing this money to the region should visit icc.edu/hired-it-workforce-accelerator by December 7, 2021.
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