The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in partnership with the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) launched a new training program to prepare residents for Illinois’ growing supply chain management industry. The program will match unemployed or underemployed residents with training for careers in fast-growing supply chain management.
The DCEO is providing $250,000 for ASCM pilots through federal funds to support dislocated workers under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The pilots are targeting those impacted by COVID-19 and will help Illinois residents across the state to seize on the growth of e-commerce, shipping, logistics, and transportation industries in Illinois.
There are nearly 2,000 supply-chain-focused job opportunities in Illinois unfilled today. Beginning in March 2021, the program will be piloted in some of Illinois’ largest supply chain hubs, Southern Cook County, Metro East, and Southern Illinois. To start, 250 participants will begin a one-week virtual training program, with industry-aligned curriculum from ASCM. At the end of the training, participants will receive a certificate in Essential Supply Chain Management Skills. Those who complete the training will have an opportunity to work with their local workforce agency to apply for supply chain careers available in the area.
Illinois companies involved include Continental Tires, Geodis, DB Schenker, Worldwide Technologies, PepsiCo, and Phoenix Elevator. DCEO will work directly with companies located in the pilot areas to identify additional underemployed individuals as candidates for training, and to scale the program to meet additional workforce demands in 2021.
To learn more about training in supply chain management visit DCEO’s Illinois WorkNet page.
