Man-Tra-Con Celebrates
Workforce Development Week!

Man-Tra-Con Corporation celebrated Workforce Development Week from Monday, August 31, 2009, through Friday, September 4, 2009.

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Warren Ribley was present to launch Workforce Development Week and to visit Summer Works worksites and youth participants throughout the day Monday, August 31.

Director Ribley visited the Man-Tra-Con Student Center at John A. Logan College in Carterville, then at 11:30 a.m., Director Ribley met Summer Works participants at Kindling Spirits —  a Summer Works worksite in Crainville. Another worksite is the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, where Director Ribley met Summer Works participants at 3:00 p.m. in the Governor’s Tent. The tour ended at 4:00 p.m. with a closing ceremony at Man-Tra-Con’s Illinois workNet Perry County office located at 120 Southtowne Shopping Center in Du Quoin.

Career specialists were available at all Man-Tra-Con office locations to promote equipment and reference material available in our resource rooms and to answer questions about the services we provide to job seekers and employers.

Summer Works Experience

Local Workforce Area 25 recently received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Federal funding to launch the Summer Works Experience initiative that provides paid part-time employment opportunities during the summer for young adults, 16 to 24 years of age. Participating worksites provide Summer Works youth with an introduction to the world of work, exposure to career opportunities, and an understanding of how education is connected to economic success. Man-Tra-Con is the employer of record and pays participant wages with funding administered through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Salaries range from $8.00 to $9.00 per hour. The length of each work experience is six to eight weeks during the program period beginning May 1, 2009, and ending March 31, 2010.

To date, the Summer Works initiative has approximately 91 participating worksites filling 293 positions. Man-Tra-Con is still accepting worksite applications as the program has the capacity to fill 126 additional job slots.

About Man-Tra-Con Corporation

Man-Tra-Con Corporation has been providing “no-cost” workforce connections and assistance to job seekers and businesses for over 30 years. We have office locations in Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Perry and Williamson counties, including our most recent student center at John A. Logan College.

For more information about Director Ribley’s visit, contact Kathy Lively at 618-998-0970, or kathylively@mantracon.org.