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Champaign County Releases Immigrant Welcoming Plan

First-ever plan in Champaign County has recommendations for better integrating immigrants into the local community, economy, and workforce

Champaign County, IL, September 15, 2021 — The New American Welcome Center (NAWC) at the University YMCA announces the release of a welcoming plan for Champaign County to become a more dynamic and cohesive community. The Champaign County Welcoming Plan is the culmination of a multi-year strategic planning and community input process with key stakeholders. The plan will be released on Wednesday, September 15 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm at the I-Hotel and Conference Center. Community leaders will present recommendations from the plan and discuss how we as a community can advance the civic, social, and economic integration of immigrants in Champaign County.

“The multi-year effort to create this plan is a testament to the commitment Champaign County has to ensure our community is welcoming and inclusive,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “At approximately 25,500 strong, Champaign County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in Illinois – and we know that number will continue to grow. This new Welcoming Plan covers many important topics and outlines critical recommendations for us all as we work towards the goal of ensuring that newcomers and immigrants can flourish in our community.”

Champaign County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in Illinois. In 2017, Champaign-Urbana was one of 25 communities nationwide selected for the Gateways for Growth Award to receive custom research from the New American Economy (NAE) on the demographic and economic impact of immigrants in Champaign County, as well as technical assistance from NAE and Welcoming America to support the planning process. Over the past three years, members of Champaign County’s immigrant communities, service providers, government, businesses, public sector institutions and faith communities worked together to create a plan for social, civic, and economic integration of the immigrant community. The Champaign County Welcoming Plan recognizes the contributions of a growing immigrant community and the vital need to create an inclusive environment for all residents of the county.

“Immigrants are already active residents of our county; this welcoming plan only helps make them a more integrated part of a vibrant community of people.” Ricardo Diaz, Chair, New American Welcome Center Advisory Board.

“As the fabric of our local Muslim community is woven by representatives of over 40 countries, we value and appreciate all sincere efforts in serving the needs of immigrant individuals & families,” said Ahmed Taha, President of the Muslim American Society (MAS) of Urbana-Champaign. “As a founding advisory board member of the University YMCA’s New American Welcome Center (NAWC), we are committed to working hand-in-hand to make UC an inclusive and welcoming environment.”

Read the full report here.

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About the Champaign County Welcoming Plan: The Champaign County Welcoming Plan provides a framework to pursue a more equitable and inclusive future. It serves as a guide for all of Champaign County to take actionable steps forward in building community of belonging, where all of us – no matter where we come from – have equal opportunity to thrive.

Data on Immigrants in Champaign County:

  • 25,552 immigrants live in Champaign County. That is 12.2% of the population.
  • 53.4% of immigrants in Champaign County entered the U.S. in 2010 or later.
  • 31.6% of total population growth in the county is attributed to immigrants between 2015 and 2019.
  • 31.9% of the foreign-born population in Champaign County are naturalized citizens.
  • Champaign County was one of only nine counties in Illinois (out of 102) with a growing population between 2010 and 2019.

About the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA
The New American Welcome Center at the University Y works to make our community a place where all immigrants can thrive and flourish. We do this by engaging local institutions and mobilizing community resources to ensure equitable access to services, economic opportunity, and meaningful belonging. Our signature programs include a multilingual helpline, immigration legal services, community navigators, and community bridge-building events.

The New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA would like to thank the following community sponsors for their support of the Champaign County Welcoming Plan: City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, University of Illinois, United Way of Champaign County, Community Foundation of East Central Illinois, The Refugee Center, Champaign County Executive’s Office, and Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Press:

Champaign Co. reveals immigration welcome plan, WAND

New plan announced to welcome immigrants to Champaign County, WCIA 3 News

New Community Ambassador Program to Welcome New Residents & Recruits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                     

August 12, 2021

 Media Contacts:

Terri Reifsteck: (217) 714-4273, terrir@visitchampaigncounty.org

Carly McCrory-McKay: (217) 649-2586, carly@champaigncountyedc.org

New Community Ambassador Program to Welcome New Residents & Recruits

Champaign, IL – Chambana Welcome Crew, a new community ambassador program, launched today with the goal of attracting and retaining new residents to Champaign County by creating a welcoming environment and a sense of belonging.

Featuring a dozen ambassadors with a range of backgrounds, demographics, and experiences, the program will match newcomers to ambassadors based on their interests to help them navigate their new home.

The program is a collaboration between the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, Visit Champaign County, and the Dual Career Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Recruiting and retaining talent is a top priority for cities across the country,” explains Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director for the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation. “For several years, our organizations have partnered with our local employers to provide resources to attract talent to our community, and the Chambana Welcome Crew is the next step to ensure these recruits land here in the Champaign-Urbana area.”

Ambassadors will connect with their recruits to serve as a “first friend” in the community, helping find the resources they need to settle here. “Moving to a new community is challenging, finding the resources you need so you can enjoy your new surroundings,” says Terri Reifsteck, Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement for Visit Champaign County. “By sharing authentic experiences our ambassadors will be helping these new residents find everything from a school for the children to their favorite new restaurant. We hope by engaging from day one, these newcomers will love Champaign County as much as we do.”

“The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign strives to attract diverse talent from all over the world.  The Dual Career Program assists the equally talented partners of our recruits to make Champaign County their location of choice,” says Dana Cohen, Assistant Director of the Dual Career Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.   “The Chambana Welcome Crew is an essential piece of the puzzle to onboard talent to our community and attract even more to this amazing place we call home.”

The program will be open to any residents that moved to Champaign County since early 2020 and to anyone considering a move to the area. “We anticipate that our local employers will rely heavily on our ambassadors to help share their living and working experiences, so they can see what life here will be like beyond their career,” states McCrory-McKay.

The Chambana Welcome Crew will continue to add new ambassadors regularly to meet the demand in the community. Community members that are passionate about the area that want to serve in an ambassador capacity are encouraged to apply at the website, https://yourewelcomecu.com/cwc/. The organizers of the program are seeking a diverse group from all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions, and stages of life. “It’s important that our ambassadors look like our community—an international destination that is welcome to all,” explains Reifsteck.

For more information on the Chambana Welcome Crew and how to be involved or request an ambassador, visit https://yourewelcomecu.com/cwc/or email cwc@champaigncountyedc.org.

About Visit Champaign County

Visit Champaign County’s mission is to promote a welcoming destination experience for visitors to strengthen economic opportunity and enhance the lives of residents.

 About Champaign County EDC

Champaign County EDC is a public-private partnership dedicated to fostering a cooperative, county-wide approach to economic development; works to improve the economic well-being of all Champaign County through efforts that entail job creation, job retention, tax base enhancements, small business development, and promotion of quality of life; and brings together community partners to support economic development by aligning interests through productive relationships, open dialogue, and advocacy efforts.

 

IMA’s Makers Madness – Vote for Champaign County Products

Voting is now open for this year’s Makers Madness: The Coolest Thing Made In Illinois, presented by Comcast Business.

The competition by Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is designed to highlight the many different products made in Illinois, including everything from food products and military flashlights to automobiles and components for the aerospace industry. This round of votes will determine the Top 16 products from the 311 unique products that were nominated from across the state.

Voting will take place at www.makersmadnessil.com through midnight on February 28. Voters can cast up to five votes per day in the first round as the field of products is narrowed.

Vote for products made in Champaign County:

  • Ability Hand – PSYONIC
  • CAT Filters – Advanced Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFSI)
  • CERV2 Smart Ventilation System – Build Equinox
  • Colorfil HVAC Filter – Serionix
  • Diffraction Gratings – Inprentus
  • Epitaxial Wafers – II-VI EpiWorks
  • Flight Simulator – Frasca International
  • Gill Vaulting Pole – Litania Sports Group
  • Graduation Cap & Gown – Herff Jones
  • Kraft Mac & Cheese – Kraft Heinz Company
  • Miracle Whip – Kraft Heinz Company
  • Moisture-free Halides – APL Engineered Materials
  • Museum Exhibits – Taylor Studios, Inc.
  • Pipe Organs – Buzard Pipe Organ Builders
  • Plastic Closures – Silgan Closures
  • Porter 1835 Competition Portable Backstop – Litania Sports Group
  • Red Solo Cup – Dart Container Corporation
  • RUSK Hair Products – Beauty Quest Group
  • Seri Face Mask – Serionix
  • SHIELD COVID-19 Saliva Test – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Sun Bucket – Sun Buckets
  • TerraSentia – EarthSense
  • Thin 222 nm UV Lamps – Eden Park
  • TOMi Scope – PhotoniCare
  • Toorq Tactical Flashlight – First-Light USA
  • Vehicle Bumpers – Flex-N-Gate
  • Water – Illinois American Water

Parkland College Submits Bid for $7.5M Manufacturing Training Academy

CHAMPAIGN, IL – Parkland College, in collaboration with the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, the University of Illinois Research Park, regional manufacturers, and community partners, has submitted a bid to become the site of a $7.5 million manufacturing training academy through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Governor JB Pritzker announced the program in Champaign County in late October during a tour of local of manufacturers.

Focused on meeting the emerging training and workforce demands of Illinois manufacturers, the academy will leverage the assets of the Champaign-Urbana community to grow the manufacturing talent pipeline, provide hands-on training in advanced skills, and assist manufacturers from across the region in scaling emerging technologies. Training opportunities will include advanced skills in machining, robotics and programmable logic controllers (PLC), and advanced manufacturing in addition to the core elements of manufacturing already available, such as welding.

“Community colleges are vehicles and engines of economic growth and vitality for our communities and our state,” said Parkland president Dr. Thomas Ramage. “Parkland is well-positioned to be the site of this strategic investment due to the track record of success in scaling regional training programs like the Parkland Institute of Aviation, Ford ASSET program, and the Midwest Center for Precision Agriculture. Proximity to and collaboration with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ensures that the AMTA will continually have access to the innovations and technology that will shape the future of manufacturing.”

Laura Frerichs, Executive Director of the University of Illinois Research Park says she agrees that locating the Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy in Champaign-Urbana would provide a strategic advantage to scaling new companies stemming from the latest research and development taking place at the University.

“One of the challenges of scaling a research and development startup company is the transition from prototype to scalable product,” said Frerichs. “While the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has technologists to invent disruptive and innovative products, its spinout companies need makers to build them. This academy will provide startups with a workforce that can replicate products with quality standards and customer satisfaction in mind, using advanced techniques such as increased automation. The Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy project will fill a critical gap in our community and allow our companies to scale and grow right here in Illinois.”

Building the Workforce Pipeline Through Awareness

Another central focus of the AMTA will be cultivating a pipeline of students to meet the expanding high-tech workforce demands in Central Illinois. As part of the AMTA, an advanced manufacturing “maker space” will be developed as a vital outreach tool to engage K-12 students and promote advanced manufacturing career pathways.

Parkland’s long-standing partnership with Education for Employment (EFE) System #330 and regional school districts will enable collaborative recruitment efforts.

The college will also build on the strong network of community partnerships and recruitment activities developed through the college’s Support for Workforce Training (SWFT) program funded by the Illinois Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) grant to reach underrepresented populations.

Whether or not the facility project is funded, Ramage says the college is committed to addressing the workforce pipeline.

“We are committed to continuing to serve manufacturers and help young people understand the rewarding, high-tech careers in manufacturing that exist locally and regionally,” said Ramage. “We don’t want individuals to miss out on the opportunities to pursue their goals and support their families because there is a lack of awareness of what it means to work in manufacturing.”

Meeting the Needs of Industry

The college will utilize a flexible training model to meet the needs of working students and employers, allowing them to access advanced training without the need to relocate. Ramage says that collaboration with the other community colleges in the region will be key and that the model opens opportunities for highly customized training and upskilling for the existing workforce as well as new students.

In order to design a comprehensive academy model that meets the needs of manufacturers, Parkland turned to local employers like Litania Sports Group to understand their needs for training as well as an expanded workforce pipeline.

“The prospect of having a Manufacturing Training Academy in our community is an investment in our regional workforce and a stabilizer for manufacturers in the area,” said Mary McGrew, VP of Human Resources at Litania Sports Group. “We struggle to find qualified workers to hold full-time jobs. We can send existing employees to the AMTA for skills enhancement to meet our changing technology. We can also work with the program to develop talent for students who want to start their career sooner, and less costly, than a four-year degree will allow. East central Illinois is home to some impressive manufacturing companies and the AMTA is a resource that can keep these companies competitive on a national level well into the future.”

The lessons learned from these focused conversations with employers provided some forecasting on future shifts in the industry and how workforce training will need to rise to meet that challenge.

“Manufacturing is a primary economic driver that requires responsive educational support,” said Dr. Justin Arnold, Director of Workforce Development for the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. “Parkland’s AMTA proposed project will ensure the workforce is ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Manufacturing has radically transformed over the past generation. We need Parkland’s AMTA to help employers train our workforce in automation, coding, robotics, and other advanced skills.”

The placement of the AMTA at Parkland College will also have a broader impact on the regional economy. “The proposed Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy (AMTA) at Parkland College will expand opportunities for short- and long-term skills training, boost retention of manufacturers in our region, and attract more investment to Illinois,” said Carly McCrory-McKay, Executive Director of the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

“Focused on meeting the emerging training and workforce demands of our area manufacturers, the academy will leverage the strong assets of the Champaign County region to grow the manufacturing talent pipeline, provide hands-on training in advanced skills, and assist manufacturers from across the region in scaling emerging technologies. We look forward to working with Parkland College and workforce development partners across the state of Illinois to encourage more people to explore the possibilities of modern manufacturing, gain the skills necessary for careers in the 21st century, and retrain workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

State-of-the-Art Training Facility

If awarded, the Parkland Manufacturing Training Academy would be built as an expansion of the Parkhill Applied Technology Center, located on the northwest corner of the college’s campus. The Parkhill Applied Technology Center currently houses the college’s manufacturing and automotive programs, including an existing American Welding Society (AWS) Accredited Test Facility welding lab.

The 10,000 square foot AMTA, designed in collaboration with Urbana-based firm IGW Architecture, will include:

  • a robotics/programmable logic controllers (PLCs) lab outfitted with the latest technology and equipment
  • new tool and die training program and dedicated lab
  • two demonstration labs for both academic and community/youth programming, including the manufacturing “maker space”
  • newly equipped CNC machining lab to support advanced skills training
  • newly equipped CAD/CAM classroom

The college should learn later this spring whether it is awarded the grant and whether the facility project will move forward.

Link to press release: https://www.parkland.edu/Main/About-Parkland/Newsroom/Parkland-News/ArtMID/1187/ArticleID/782?fbclid=IwAR1_VufzIHtbRz-Pt8uLkbtlKxF8g6DaxGbCNWvvKOPDOgb2HejQ35zuoxM

Press:

Parkland College would like to be a manufacturing training center site, Smile Politely

College submits bid in hopes to build Manufacturing Training Academy, WCIA 3 News

Parkland submits bid for $7.5 million manufacturing academy, The News-Gazette

Community Partners Celebrating February as CTE Month®

For Immediate Release

Contacts:

Carly McCrory, Executive Director
Champaign County EDC
217-359-6261
carly@champaigncountyedc.org
www.champaigncountyedc.org

Stephanie Stuart, Vice President, Communications and External Affairs
Parkland College
217-353-2170
sstuart@parkland.edu
www.parkland.edu

Community Partners Celebrating February as CTE Month®

CHAMPAIGN, IL, February 1, 2019 – The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation and Parkland College will join community, regional and state partners to celebrate February as Career and Technical Education Month®, or CTE Month®, which recognizes the value and accomplishments of career and technical education programs in the U.S.

Throughout the month of February, area entities will participate in this national celebration, created by the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE), chiefly by disseminating information on CTE programs and opportunities in and around Champaign County through the social media campaign, #CTEinIL.

#CTEinIL is designed to promote CTE programs and career opportunities in Champaign County and throughout the state of Illinois. Participating organizations, schools, and employers will use the #CTEinIL hashtag throughout the month of February to build awareness about their own initiatives, while also helping to tell the story of CTE opportunities within the state.

Participating organizations include:

Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
Champaign County Economic Development Corporation
Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
Champaign Unit 4 School District
Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation
Early College & Career Academy
Education for Employment System #330
ICATT Apprenticeship Program
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
IMEC
Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District #3
Parkland College
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 149
Rantoul Township High School
Urbana School District #116

What is CTE? Career and technical education, or CTE, is education that directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers. CTE covers many different fields, including health care, information technology, advanced manufacturing, hospitality and management and many more.

CTE encompasses many different types of education, from classroom learning to certification programs to work-based learning opportunities outside the classroom.

For more details on CTE Month®, as well as partnering companies and organizations celebrating #CTEinIL, visit http://champaigncountyedc.org/cteinil.

 

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