Mayor Emanuel, along with World Business Chicago, Chicago Federation of Labor and local business leaders, yesterday announced 1,000 Jobs for Chicagoland Manufacturing, an initiative in the Mayor’s 2015 Budget that will place workers in 1,000 open manufacturing jobs over the next year. The announcement was made at JMC Steel Group’s Chicago Atlas Tube plant (an AISC Member).
The initiative will match at least 1,000 qualified job seekers with open manufacturing jobs and link residents who need additional skills to training and apprenticeship programs that can result in full-time employment. Over the last three years, the manufacturing sector has curbed a 30-year decline in jobs, but there aren’t enough skilled workers to meet current demand.
“This program to connect 1,000 workers to manufacturing jobs builds on the work that we have done to reestablish Chicago as one of the country’s major manufacturing hubs,” said Mayor Emanuel. “From working to bring the Digital Manufacturing Lab to Chicago to investing in College to Career manufacturing training programs at Richard J. Daley Community College, attracting new manufacturers to Chicago and training and supporting future manufacturing talent, we are helping to ensure that Chicago’s economy will continue to grow well into the future.”
The campaign will focus on three areas of need: raising awareness of manufacturing jobs in the City’s and the region’s manufacturing sector; increasing capacity at existing workforce organizations to help them to match job seekers to jobs and training programs that meet the needs of area manufacturing businesses; and facilitating coordination through a “1,000 Jobs for Chicagoland Manufacturing”-branded web portal that will connect job seekers with training and employment opportunities.
JMC Steel Group is actively hiring 42 positions to support this initiative and is working with community organizations to drive the manufacturing sector and boost the city's economic recovery.
"From stadiums to schools, to CTA stations, highways and bridges, Atlas products are all over Chicago,” said Atlas Tube’s president, David W. Seeger. “Our employees take pride in knowing that the products they manufacture help make some of the city's greatest buildings and structures come to life."
“This [Atlas Tube] facility employs 250 people, 20 of which were hired this past year. It produces over 450,000 tons of product annually,” he added. “In order to produce that much product, we need high-quality, well-trained employees working in a safe environment. We're proud to partner with other local manufacturers, the mayor's office and World Business Chicago to spread the word about the city's enormous manufacturing capabilities that can help grow our economy and create new job opportunities."
To learn more, visit 1000JobsCampaign.com.