Illinois Tollway Constructionworks program launches across Northern Illinois

The Chicago Crusader ^ | January 3, 2019 | crusader

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

A few years ago, during a panel discussion at the 47th annual Congressional Black Caucus, U.S. Representative Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) was the opening speaker on the topic of “Putting Black America to Work: the New Skilled Trade Workforce.” Lawrence noted that the industry supported by skilled trade workers will need an infusion of youth because the average age of workers was 53 years old.

Rep. Lawrence said, “We are building a new bridge from Detroit to Windsor (Canada). I’ve been told we are bringing in welders from Vietnam to help build it.” It seems unfathomable that the United States, a country with a population of approximately 330 million, has to import welders from another country—especially when some of those unionized trade jobs pay $30, $40 or $50 an hour. However, as Lawrence said, “One of the trade skills in big demand now is for welders.”

The Illinois Tollway is a major employer of people in trades. You might say the Illinois Tollway is trying to avoid a similar situation by creating a pipeline of skilled workers with the recent announcement of its new ConstructionWorks workforce training and careers program.

Before the Christmas Holiday the Illinois Tollway Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and Executive Director Liz Gorman, along with Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, state transportation leaders Sen. Martin Sandoval and Rep. Marcus Evans, announced that its new ConstructionWorks workforce training and careers program was ready to begin serving job seekers at 18 sites in Cook County, DuPage County, Chicago, Rockford, Aurora and Waukegan.

[stylin19a]

wonder how long Schillerstrom is going to last...

not sure why they tout this:

In 2013, the Tollway created a community hiring initiative in the south suburbs when it began expanding the I-294/I-57 Interchange. Community residents ultimately worked more than 10,500 hours on that project.

That's like what, 5 people full time for a year ?

[Bonemaker]

“One of the trade skills in big demand now is for welders.”

But that takes desire, initiative, ambition, self-motivation, persistence, training, brains etc.

[tomkat]

In Shitcago, itself the very definition of 'fustercluck', one would suppose that the proper term for this $14,000,000,000 boondoggle-in-waiting would be 'sub-fustercluck' ?

A 100' Lake Tsunami would be an immense blessing to the predominantly conservative citizens of the state of Illinois.

[Bonemaker]

“We are building a new bridge from Detroit to Windsor (Canada). I’ve been told we are bringing in welders from Vietnam to help build it.”

I believe it on the Detroit side. Canadians are bringing Canadians for their part.

[dfwgator]

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

To pay tolls nowadays, you must go back and get a sh*tload of ‘em!

[oldvirginian]

Ahhh, the Never-ending Illinois Toll Road scam.
Taxpayer money is funneled to unions who kick back a percent to the democrat politicians who then vote for more road work so more money can be funneled to the unions so more money can be kicked back to the politicians.
Illinois has that racket down to a science.

Whenever I was in Michigan and was headed west I went Up and over every chance I could just to miss Chicongo.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Taxpayer money is funneled to unions who kick back a percent to the democrat politicians who then vote for more road work so more money can be funneled to the unions so more money can be kicked back to the politicians.
Illinois has that racket down to a science.

So up Route 75 North and then U.S. 2 west, with the only tolls being at the Mackinaw Bridge? Nice!

As for Illy-nois, that's just the velocity of money,don'tcha know! /sarc