 This event
was not a job fair. The chamber hopes to accomplish
two things with the annual Workforce Readiness Expo:
1. Prepare local high school students in Logan County for the
next step, whatever that next step would be for them. Workshops were
offered on career planning, goal-setting, resume writing
(interviewing), workplace education and how to maximize students'
remaining years in school.
2. With the business expo portion of this event, the chamber
hoped to show Logan County youth that there are viable careers in
Logan County, so they don't have to leave to make a good living.
"Instead of job-shadowing just one career, this event equips
students with needed skills while exposing them to numerous local
occupations," said Kristi Powell, a member of the Heartland
Community College staff and the expo committee.
"Our objective with the WRE is to help create a better workforce
pool for our local businesses, and at the same time engage students
early with our business community to show them there are viable
career choices in Logan County," said Andi Hake, executive director
of the chamber of commerce.
Volunteers came in to participate in a one-hour educational
discussion panel in the areas of agriculture, health care, civic and
nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship and manufacturing.
About 30 businesses around Logan County supported this event by
sponsoring and setting up booths to engage with students on career
options in Logan County.
"The expo concept is the hardest for our local businesses to
grasp. It is not necessarily a job fair, nor are they selling a
product. It is much more a philanthropic act than a sales expo. If
the WRE continues to succeed, then our local businesses will see the
benefits back tenfold in a higher quality applicant and employee,"
Hake added.
On the committee for the Workforce Readiness Expo are Cody Atkins
from Wal-Mart, Amy Cribb from Eaton, Michelle Bauer from Lincoln
College, Kristi Powell from Heartland Community College, Bret
Hitchings and Tricia Campbell from Lincoln Community High School,
Vic Martinek from Inland Tool, Mike Maniscalco from the economic
development partnership, Kaylee Tanner from Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital, and Andi Hake from the chamber of commerce.
The Workforce Readiness Expo directly reflects the mission of the
chamber to be the advocate for business by providing leadership,
programs and services that create, protect and enhance the business
environment for the benefit of chamber members, Lincoln and Logan
County.
[to top of second column] |
The panelists who gave their time and expertise
to the event are as follows:
Agricultural
-
Dave Irwin, State Bank of Lincoln
-
Jim
Drew, Farm Bureau
-
Michael Schmidt, Central
Illinois Ag
-
Dr.
Jay Miller, Railsplitter Veterinary Wellness Center
-
Nicole Forsberg,
Golden Harvest Seeds
Health care
-
Dr.
James Wilmert, orthodontist
-
Michael Rohrer, R.Ph., pharmacist,
-
Todd Mourning, DPT, physical therapist
-
Gene Frioli, administrator, Developmental Disability Services
and Lincoln Mental Health
-
Kelly Bailey, RT, radiologic technologist
-
Micah Tanner, MBA, talent planning specialist
-
Elizabeth Twyman, R.N., charge nurse, emergency department
-
Crystal Flatley, CCS, medical coder
-
Amanda Hutchison, medical records associate
Entrepreneurship and manufacturing
-
Greg Basford, owner, Heritage Packaging
-
Patrick Doolin, owner, Integrity Data
-
Sarah Faith, owner, Stuart Solutions
-
Dallas Jones, toolmaker
-
Eric Samuelson, design engineering manager
-
David Lanterman
-
Vanessa Komnick, owner-stylist, Blades
Civic and nonprofit leadership
-
Angela Stoltzenburg, Community Action
-
Keith Snyder, Lincoln mayor
-
Shannon Kelly, Logan Correctional Center
-
Richard Sumrall, Lincoln Public Library
-
Marty Ahrends, Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation
-
Marcia Greenslate, Lincoln Park District
[Text from files received from
the Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber of Commerce] |
