A Leading Contributor to Workforce/ Economic Development

11/1/2007 - Bison Gear & Engineering Corporation has been selected by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as a recipient of the Business Leadership Award. The award was presented at the Illinois Workforce Development Conference, October 25, 2007 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Springfield, IL. Bison was chosen for this award because of the successful leadership demonstrated and the significant contributions made to workforce/ economic development activities over the past year.

"Bison Gear, a committed collaborator and leader in workforce and economic development, has brought together a team of manufacturing partners, government and education leaders working to remedy the shortage of qualified entry-level manufacturing workers. Through this program, Bison is making significant contributions to the economic vitality of the region, while aiding high school graduates, retired or displaced workers and workers seeking to improve their current skill set, by supporting an important tool for economic, workforce development, education and manufacturing organizations", states Tom Mihelic, River Valley Workforce Investment Board.

Bison has collaborated with a team of local leaders along with the College of DuPage, to develop the Skilled Workforce Initiative, to assist with the shortage of finding qualified personnel in the manufacturing industry. The classes will meet weekly for 12 weeks and the curriculum will include a variety of skills, such as, applied math and manufacturing practices, blueprint reading, hand tool usage, and employment, life and safety skills. Participants must be at least 18 years old, legal residents and meet qualification determined assessments.

Upon successful completion of the training program, students will seek an entry level position at one of the 10 - 12 manufacturing organizations in Illinois who are partners of the initiative. Students will then be placed in a paid 90 day internship where the focus will be On the Job Training (OJT) to improve their manufacturing skills. Participants will also be granted college credit from the College of DuPage upon successful completion in special sections of MSSC delivery system courses such as; Manufacturing Technology 1180 Quality Control (3 semester hours), Manufacturing Technology 2200 Production Technology (4 semester hours), Manufacturing Technology 2800 Industrial Safety (2 semester hours).