News

Workforce Development Award Winners

State Winner-Vonzetta Sykes

Vonzetta Sykes was identified by Madison High School as an at-risk youth and was referred to the Madison County Employment and Training Department for the Youth Employability Enhancement Program in March 2001.

The goals of the Employability Enhancement Program are to reduce the student drop out rate, improve academics and prepare students for the workforce. The program was designed with the intention of providing students with hands-on learning experiences for real pay, showing the direct correlation between education and its utilization in the work place.

Vonzetta enthusiastically jumped right in. Every year her basic skills showed improvement while she built on the former year’s occupational skills and learned new work readiness skills. She was the first member of her family to graduate from high school; her parents and both older brothers had dropped out. But graduating wasn’t enough; in addition, she achieved 3rd in her class. She obtained grants and scholarships to go to McKendree College in fall 2004 and is now in her second year. She plans on becoming a pharmacist.

With the assistance of the Madison County Employment and Training program, Vonzetta planned what road she wanted to take in high school. The financial aid and scholarships will enable her to complete college and reach that long-term goal.

Local Winner-Ethel Ellison

Ethel Ellison has been fascinated with the truck driving industry for as long as she can remember. In the past, she has tried to get a CDL license, but supporting her family always came first. She could not afford to take time off from work to receive the training.

She worked for a local hospital for a number of years in housekeeping, making only a little over minimum wage. She wanted to improve her and her sons’ lives, so she started saving and getting her finances in order. She wished to prepare for the training that she needed to complete before getting her CDL license.

Ethel approached her Career Specialist about the possibility of the WIA program paying for her training at CDL Truck Driving School. Her WIA assessment verified her aptitude for truck driving, and Ethel passed the school’s entrance exam with flying colors.

On June 14, 2005, Ethel completed her training and passed her state-driving test. Presently Ethel is working a shift-work position, but she is persistently interviewing with a number of trucking companies. It’s just a matter of time before she reaches her career goal and will be driving those 18 wheel trucks.

Local Winner-Bobbie Greer

In the summer of 2004, Bobbie Greer came to the WIA program looking for assistance. She was forty-three years old and literally had no work history. Bobbie dropped out of high school after her freshman year.

When Bobbie was nineteen years old, she met the man who became the father of her daughter, Sarah. They were together for six years when he decided to leave her. Sarah was five years old at the time. Their only source of income was the Social Security Disability that Sarah was eligible for through her father. With no work history and limited education, Bobbie was unable to find employment.

Her daughter Sarah is now grown, has a daughter of her own, and is employed with a good career. So during June of 2004, Bobbie decided it was her turn. She wanted to learn a marketable skill and become employable. Bobbie was intrigued by the Medical Coding and Billing career. She researched this field and found it to be an emerging career that looked promising. She was given a basic skills assessment scoring with eighth-grade reading level and a sixth-grade math level.

In August 2005, Bobbie completed an extensive internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Highland and finished her Medical Coding and Billing Program with a 3.9 grade point average out of 4.0. During November 2005, she secured employment with Apria Health Care in St. Louis as a Medical Coding and Billing Clerk making $12.00 an hour to start. Not bad for someone who has had no previous work history!

Local Winner-Amanda McLain

During the fall of 2004, Amanda McLain came into the Madison County Employment and Training Department’s Alton office for assistance with the RN program at Lewis and Clark Community College. She also applied for the Madison County Community Service Block Grant. She wanted to make a difference in children’s lives that were fighting the cancer battle at St. Jude’s Hospital. So Amanda decided the best way to do that was to become a pediatric oncology nurse.

Amanda, who is a single mother, has been on food stamps, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), CHASI (Children’s Home and Aid Society of Illinois), and has her son on Medicaid in order to make ends meet. She is motivated first and foremost by her son and his future. She wants what any mother wants, to make a better life for her child so that he can also achieve his goals. However, she also wants to advance her education in order to help others.

During the past year, trying to work, raise a toddler, and study nursing has been hard work for Amanda, but she has maintained her status as a good student and is scheduled to graduate this spring. She realizes all her efforts will soon pay off financially as well as meet her need for helping others.

Local Winner-Jenna Miller

On her own since she was 17 years old, Jenna Miller wanted a better life. Now a 19-year-old single parent with a 2-year-old son; she realized that she had to take a very big step in order to make that happen. She did some research on her own and found that she has some very good job opportunities in the Medical Billing and Coding field, if she could find a way to return to school. After putting forth much effort on her part setting up childcare and back-up plans, and finding out if she’s eligible for grants, etc., she went through her assessments at the college. She had been accepted into the program and her Pell Grant application was approved, but she didn’t have enough money or grants to assist with her living expenses and also pay for the school tuition and books. Jenna only receives $274 a month in food stamps and gets a medical card for her son.

So she sought assistance through the Madison County Employment and Training Department’s Granite City Office. She was approved for training and started her classes on time in January 2005, making 2 As and 1 B the first term and 3 As and 1 B the second term. Summer term she made 2 As. She really enjoys her classes, although, she says it’s hard with a young child, especially one in the “terrible 2’s”. Under those circumstances, studying and doing homework at night has been difficult, but on December 24th she received a wonderful but fully earned Christmas present. She graduated from her program with flying colors!

Jenna found employment soon after. On January 2, 2006, she started a job filling in as receptionist at the Maryville Woman’s Center just to get her foot in the door. It has paid off because she will be moving into an open position in her trained field within a few months as a Medical Coding and Billing Clerk for the same employer.

Local Winner- Linda Methvin

Linda Methvin came to the Madison County Employment and Training Department (Greenville Center) after the company where she had been employed as a clerk, downsized and relocated. She had exhausted her unemployment benefits and needed to find employment to support herself. During that time, she used the career resource center’s resume-writing program, job search assistance and also conferred with staff regarding the possibilities of pursuing a new career path. Although Linda appeared to have a very strong work ethic, she discovered that she failed to possess a marketable skill that today’s workforce demands.

After an unsuccessful job search, Linda realized the need to move forward and explore other careers. Through a career assessment, her career specialist was able to offer her guidance with her occupational goals, matching her aptitudes and interests to the medical field. It didn’t take long for Linda to discover that the Medical Assistant’s program at Sanford Brown was her chosen area. Accordingly, she was accepted into their program. Two weeks prior to her enrollment, Linda became a foster-grandparent. At that time, she was referred to some outside resources for financial and child care assistance.

Linda completed her program in March 2004, maintaining honor roll status and receiving several awards. She attained her license as a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) and RMA (Registered Medical Assistant). This allowed her to increase her financial status by 20 to 40 percent. She now has the skills needed to widen her job opportunities, thus making her a valuable member of any health care team. Soon after graduation, she obtained employment with a billing company in a hospital setting.

Business Leadership Award

State Winner-Gateway Packaging Company

Roger Miller, CEO and President of Gateway Packaging Company, is not a person who runs his company from an “ivory tower”. Over the years, Mr. Miller has been involved in every aspect of the packaging industry. He started as a line production worker and progressed through supervising, planning, sales and management. By 1982, he was ready to branch out and start his own sales/marketing organization, focusing his energies on major industrial packaging companies. In 1987, he and his four employees purchased their first building. Twelve more employees were added when Mr. Miller built a 20,000 square foot facility in Granite City, Illinois. By 1999, Gateway Packaging had grown immensely and was producing finished pet food bags. In September 2001, they purchased an existing bag company in Kansas City and their total employee count jumped to over 280 employees.

In the summer of 2004, Mr. Miller and other company representatives requested a meeting with Granite City, Madison County and State of Illinois representatives. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss an exciting new opportunity; Gateway Packaging was preparing to make a huge leap in bagging technology. They were going to bring in innovative equipment from Europe that would greatly change the packaging industry (PB 2555 Pinch Bottomer and AM 8115 Tuber). This would be the first time this technology would be utilized in the United States and Gateway Packaging was preparing to be the leader in this advancement.

To make such a move would require a major investment by the company as well as cooperation from city, county and state entities. Gateway Packaging was willing to put forth the time, money and logistical effort of not only training key personnel in Europe, but also transporting and setting up the equipment here in the U.S. They simply wanted assurance that this could be accomplished in Granite City, Illinois. The new equipment would not only benefit the company, but would also provide 20 or more new jobs to the area. Mr. Miller had always been a great contributor to the Granite City community and wanted to provide that employment opportunity for local job seekers, especially given the loss of local manufacturing jobs. In addition, Gateway Packaging would have to look at expanding their current facility to accommodate the growth in equipment and personnel.
Over the next few months, with assistance and input from local agencies, Mr. Miller pushed forward with his plan. By the spring of 2005, Gateway Packaging had the new bagging equipment in place at their Granite City facility and began hiring additional personnel. In the tradition of giving back to the community, they have not only utilized the local Illinois Employment & Training Centers for their recruiting and screening needs, but also have made it a point to consider hiring area personnel that have recently been downsized.

Collaboration Awards

Local Winner-The Madison County Energy Assistance Program

Roshelle Williams–Gardner, LIHEAP Coordinator, and the staff of the Madison County Community Development - Energy Assistance Program provide heating and cooling assistance to the residents of the Madison County area. The Madison County Employment and Training Department (ETD) in Granite City works closely with Community Development to provide a location to service the residents of Granite City, Madison, Mitchell, Pontoon Beach, Venice and the surrounding area. The program is known as the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or “Energy Assistance”, and provides assistance to those that cannot afford to heat or cool their homes and apartments due to low income
Jane Felty and Rebecca Cowley of the Granite City Employment and Training office receive clients, assist with appointments, help arrange transportation and offer clerical assistance to Energy Assistance workers. The Employment and Training Department offers telephone, fax and copier service, as well as providing office space to the Energy Assistance staff.

During the 2004 – 2005 program year, the Madison County Energy Assistance Program served 5,821 clients with a total grant funding of $2,752,633.

Another benefit of this collaboration is the chance to outreach for the services offered by the Employment and Training Department. As the clients come into the office, the Employment and Training staff use this opportunity to describe the services offered at the one-stop centers. This often sets in motion a series of events, helping the client toward self-sufficiency.

As Community Development and Employment and Training work together to serve the disadvantaged residents in the Granite City area, this collaboration truly benefits not only each of the residents who are helped, but the community as a whole. In the end it is heart warming and rewarding to those involved to know that their collaboration can assist in making so many lives better.

Local Winner- Marty Brawn

Over the past twenty years, there has been a constant dynamic presence between Lewis & Clark Community College (LCCC) and Madison County Employment & Training Department (ETD). That presence is Marty Brawn. As a LCCC staff member, she has been involved with ETD in several different capacities.

It started back in 1985, when she was under a JTPA grant to teach basic skills to potential JTPA clients that wanted to enroll into LCCC. She was instrumental in preparing JTPA students for college training programs. When the grant ended, she became the liaison between both entities: helping staff and students to access and utilize the LCCC system.

Her role over the years has evolved as JTPA transitioned into WIA and more training programs were added to the LCCC approved list. Marty became more involved in all aspects of student development. She refers and recruits students for the WIA program plus attends a weekly Illinois Employment & Training Center orientation to present the services and programs of LCCC.

As the LCCC Director of Workforce Development, she participates in many IETC committees. She serves on the IETC teams of One Stop Operators, Excellence, Resource Room, and Business Services. Marty also represents Dr. Dale Chapman of LCCC on the Workforce Investment Boards (WIB) of LWA 22 and LWA 21. She assisted with the development of the Memorandum of Understanding and the Business Plan of the Alton IETC. She continues to work with the WIB on the Critical Skill Shortages Initiative and Community Assessment.

Over the past three years, Marty has been involved in the Alton Tax Counseling Project. This project assists low-income families with completing and filing their tax returns. She has helped recruit LCCC volunteers for this project and has volunteered herself for one night a week during the tax season. And for several years, Marty has assisted with the annual inter-agency Jobs Plus Job Fair, taking on the responsibility of printing and distributing the posters and flyers and announcing the event.

Marty has been the constant, dynamic force that has kept the organizations working together at both a student and staff level, and this collaboration has been beneficial to everyone.

Local Winner-The Madison County FLLIP Financial Education Program

A new statewide financial education program, designed to help low-income workers obtain the skills they need to effectively manage their money, was launched and flourished in Madison and Bond Counties thanks to the collaboration of thirteen (13) entities. The Madison County Employment and Training Department, in partnership with The BANK of Edwardsville, was awarded a financial education grant entitled “Financial Links for Low-Income People” (FLLIP) through the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law for the July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005 fiscal year. This grant is endorsed by the FLLIP coalition, which is a diverse collaboration of members and advisers that includes banks, advocates, government agencies, bank regulators, adult educators, private industry and sponsors of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). FLLIP’s mission is to expand financial education and asset-building opportunities for welfare recipients and low to moderate-income individuals and families in Illinois. The Grand Victoria Foundation of Chicago graciously donated funding to support the initiative in Madison County.

Trained instructors with the Madison County Employment and Training Department conducted seven 12-hour FLLIP workshops over the past year throughout the Madison and Bond County area. Eighty-nine (89) participants attended these sessions, resulting in eighty-five (85) successful graduates and a 95% success rate. As a partnering sponsor, The BANK of Edwardsville made a substantial monetary donation and offered 6-months free checking to eligible participants who successfully completed the workshops. Three (3) local WIB business members recognized the tremendous need for this financial program and contributed monetary donations as well as door prizes and give-away items. Business contributors include Coldwell Banker Brown Realtor, ADECCO, and Midwest Office Equipment. Joining in this true, collaborative effort were six (6) additional agencies. The following agencies assisted with recruitment and/or provided classrooms: Granite City Department of Human Services, AARP Foundation/Senior Community Service Employment Program, Metropolitan Employment and Rehabilitation Services, East Alton Department of Human Services, Department of Human Services-Division of Rehabilitation Services, and a local federal prison.

The financial education course was developed by the FLLIP coalition in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension Center and takes an innovative approach with activities targeted to the interests and experiences of lower-income consumers. Topics include mainstream banking services such as checking and savings accounts, ATMs, direct deposit, and online banking. In addition, students are taught how to establish a budget and to begin saving regularly for short-term and long-term goals. The instructors for this project provided many hands-on activities and incorporated a field trip to The BANK of Edwardsville to educate the participants on a variety of banking services and to assist those who may experience anxiety or be apprehensive about visiting a financial institution.

Through the strong commitment and exemplary teamwork of thirteen (13) partners, lower income workers were educated in areas of personal finance that they previously knew little or nothing about. Participant evaluations indicated the instructors did well in all areas of teaching, service, and performance, and the program consistently received excellent marks. Graduates of the FLLIP Financial Education Program in Madison County overwhelmingly agree that the financial education they received will make a direct, positive impact on their financial future.

Local Winner-The Madison County-E-Learning Program

The Challenge was Great – There are a number of low-income high school dropouts in the Madison and Venice area, students that the traditional “classroom” type setting did not appeal to, who lost interest and dropped-out. These are the youth that fall through the cracks in the educational system.

The Task…to apply for and receive a grant to fund an “E-Learning” pilot program. This took the hard work of many individuals compiling information and area statistics. The pilot must consist of three modules: Diploma Completion, Career Development and Admission to College without the need for remediation in math or reading.

The 1st Step – A grant was received and they were off and running. A plan was developed, an Education Resource Specialist was hired and five people went to work to change the way the public viewed Internet learning: Dr. Don Wallace of Madison High School; and Scott Smallie, Kathy Pinkas, Debbie Angleton and Connie Vick all of the Madison County Employment and Training Department. First they needed to establish criteria that would allow the students to complete lessons and test in an environment that was comfortable to them.

The Target – 30-35 youth. These students had to meet WIA eligibility and fall between the ages of 17 and 21.
The 2nd Step – An outreach effort to local community agencies, churches, newspapers and youth groups was implemented through mailings and presentations. Students were identified, transcripts were evaluated, and students were enrolled on-line to begin and complete coursework on the Internet. This non-traditional approach allows them to work at their own pace, at their own location and in a more comfortable setting. The on-line study course used is through a Virginia company, Ed-Options, and was developed by Home Study International, of Maryland. The students must take midterms and final exams in the presence of the staff Educational Resource Specialist and must also provide an identification number.
The Outcome - Many hours and many people worked together to get this innovative system up and going, and they continue to work as the program grows. Another staff person, Leonard Dollins, was hired to replace Scott Smallie as he went on to a permanent teaching position. A total of thirty youth have been enrolled thus far with several more in a “trial period” to ensure this program is right for them.

Staff celebrated the success of their first and second graduates of the program during December 2005 and February 2006, and anticipates more successes in the upcoming months.