BUSINESS & CAREER INSTITUTE RECEIVES ETIP GRANT BCI also preparing to offer new certifications this fall.

Oak Forest, IL– The South Suburban College Business & Career Institute recently received a $150,000 Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) that will be utilized to supplement up to $300,000 worth of employee training.  BCI submitted their application to the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity to facilitate upgrading the skills of workers at Illinois based manufacturers and service companies in order to remain current in new technologies and business practices. 

ETIP grants may reimburse Illinois companies for up to 50 percent of the eligible cost of training their employees.  Participation in the program enables companies to remain competitive, expand into new markets and introduce more efficient technologies into their operations. 

“We are extremely pleased to receive these additional funds from DCEO,” said Becky Admave, Dean of Extension Services.  “This program has been very beneficial to manufacturers in the south suburban region in the past, and we look forward to putting it to good use.”

BCI has partnered with local manufacturers such as Gelita-USA’s Calumet City facility in recent years.  BCI assisted Gelita with employee training in quality and 5S in the continuous improvement of housekeeping and organization standards at the site through ETIP.  Completion of this training has been crucial in the site’s ability to improve gelatin quality and output since 2011. 

SSC’s Business & Career Institute serves as a regional headquarters for workforce preparation, employee training, business development and technology deployment.  BCI provides training, consulting, and economic and business development resources for the Chicago Southland.  For their efforts, BCI has been recognized as a High Performance Business & Industry Center by the Center for Adult and Experiential Learning, among other accolades. 

BCI will also be expanding its services this fall to include a new 4-hour Consumer Wellness Advocate (CWA) Certification workshop, along with three new “green” certification programs titled Green Entrepreneur, Green Construction, and Industrial/Brownfield Safety, Land Reuse and Public Health. 

Additionally, STAR Truck Driving School and BCI will be celebrating their five-year partnership with an Open House for their fast-track truck driver training program on Monday, September 9th from 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Main Campus in South Holland.  This collaboration has now prepared 392 students for rewarding careers since 2008.

For more information about BCI services and programs, please call (708) 596-2000, ext. 2522.  The University & College Center is located at 16333 S. Kilbourn, Oak Forest, Illinois.