A job search can be as up and down as a ride on an elevator. Frank Wilson, 39, of Hampshire, knows both subjects well.
Unemployed since November after working 11 years as a mechanic in the elevator field, Wilson is taking part in a job skills assessment and certification program at Elgin Community College. He hopes it will give him an edge over other applicants.
“It’s like the military,” Wilson said. “You have to train as you fight.
“You don’t get a face-to-face (interview) anymore,” said Wilson who knows hydraulics, electrical components and installation as well as reading 3-D dimensional drawings and straight line diagrams. These are skills useful in any mechanical job, he said, “ … but how do I get somebody to take a chance on me?”
The free program, called WorkKeys, is offered to unemployed and underemployed residents living in the ECC District 509 area. Participants gather Friday mornings to use computers, work with instructors and take an on-line tutorial program.
They review applied mathematics, reading and comprehension, observation and listening, writing and business writing, locating information, and using diagrams, maps and gauges. A final assessment provides a score that earns the participant a bronze, silver, gold or platinum National Career Readiness Certificate, said Charron Banaszak, coordinator with the college’s career development services department.
The program also assesses job seekers’ strengths and matches them with the best type of jobs to pursue, Banaszak said. It’s part of Elgin’s 1,000 Worker Skills Initiative, facilitated through the college, Elgin Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, and supported by a grant from the United Way of Elgin.
“This really should help them in their job search,” said Bob Malm, director of the Elgin Chamber of Commerce. “There are about 70 companies that recognize the certificate in the Elgin areas. When one of those employers sees an application and (he or she) has the right core skills for those jobs, those people get interviewed first.
“It is so important when so many people are looking for jobs and so forth to really stand out,” he said.
The labs began Feb. 4 and so far 40 people have participated, with more joining after automated calls went out to the homes of people listed as unemployed.
“The first couple of classes we had eight or nine people. Then the Robocalls started and the next class we had 32 (more) …,” he said. “Last week we had to add an extra lab.”
Eric Smith, human resources director at Hoffer Plastics in S. Elgin, has hired two people from the program, who didn’t have experience in plastics but had the ability to learn.
“We are more interested in the aptitude and soft skills then in whether they have the experience in plastics, because we can train them, but they have to have the aptitude for that,” Smith said. The positions in molding and inspection paid $11 to $20 an hour plus benefits.
Peggy Gundrum, director of career services at ECC, said the labs offer a secondary benefit of motivating unemployed job seekers to get up, shower and simply get out of the house. They also provide networking opportunities.
“You could do it at home, but sometimes it is nice to come in and gain the confidence on the computers,” she said. “When unemployed, you can be depressed.”
Though the college has committed to offering the labs and instructional services through April 29, Gundrum said the program could continue if enough people are interested.
Angie Sandoval, 41, a stay-at-home mom in Carpentersville for the last six years, has attended the last three weeks and believes she focuses better in the labs even though she could do the work in her house. The former owner of a beauty shop in Elgin, she said the time investment is “definitely” worth it.
“I’m trying to get back into management,” she said. “I have to really step up.”
Those interested in participating in WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate can call Elgin Community College at 847-214-7220.
