Man-Tra-Con Corporation was honored this week by a visit from Julio Rodriguez, Deputy Director, Office of Employment and Training from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).
DCEO Downstate Workforce Development Regional Manager Bryan Ellis, Man-Tra-Con CEO, Robyn Russell Man-Tra-Con staff, Southern Illinois Corporate Board and Workforce Development Board (SIWDB) members, Perry County CLEO Bruce Morgenstern, and Erik Perks, General Manager from Prysmian Group, welcomed Director Rodriguez during a dinner meeting at “The W” in Du Quoin, Illinois, on Tuesday evening. Perks presented information on Prysmian’s $63.8 million expansion project at their Du Quoin, Illinois, plant. The expansion project plans to boost cable manufacturing for renewable energy sectors, plus create 80 high-paying jobs for the region. Prysmian Group is currently working with Man-Tra-Con programs for maintenance apprenticeships and incumbent worker training.
On Wednesday morning, Black Diamond-Harley Davidson Family of Businesses co-owner and Oasis Outdoors developer Rodney Cabaness and Marketing Director Herby Voss gave a presentation at Man-Tra-Con Corporation in Marion, Illinois, about economic development plans currently underway to create a $30 million, multi-use Oasis Sports Complex, and other family-friendly destination attractions within Marion, Illinois. The developments, when complete, will create about 3,000 new jobs within Marion and the Southern Illinois region. After the presentation, Oasis owners gave Director Rodriguez a helicopter tour of business developments in Marion and Williamson County.
The afternoon included a tour of the Southern Illinois Multi-Module Station (SIMMS) currently under construction in Carbondale. The $14 million multi-module station will replace the current train and bus station to provide a safe, convenient location for multiple modes of transportation serving residents within a 30-county area. The station will include office space for Amtrak, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, Carbondale Tourism, Carbondale Main Street, Man-Tra-Con, and a SIU Welcome Center. The SIMMS tour was followed by a tour of Crucial MRO in Murphysboro, currently participating in an Aviation Apprenticeship Program in partnership with Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and Man-Tra-Con.
During his visit, Director Rodriguez stressed the need for workforce development partners and businesses to work together to find innovative ways to create a career pipeline for job seekers while helping to promote worker retention for local employers. He also spoke about the need to prepare for future job opportunities in clean energy currently under development for the region. In addition, he asked employers to consider the hidden talent that can be developed in non-traditional job seekers with support from state and federally funded Apprenticeship, Work Experience, On-the Job Training and Incumbent Worker training programs.
Director Rodriguez talked about plans DCEO has for workforce areas throughout the state of Illinois. DCEO is looking at ways for the department to better serve workforce development partners and customers, and also to help frontline workforce development staff carve out more time to work with customers by exploring technology-based assistance. In working with difficult to serve customers, Julio advised, “We need to take challenges and turn them into opportunities.”
Man-Tra-Con enjoyed having Director Rodriguez visit, and showing him the many exciting projects happening in our area to promote economic and workforce development within southern Illinois.
