By A.J. Harris
BLOOMINGTON – Students in the school districts of Leroy, Olympia, Pontiac, and Tri-Valley will soon be able to enroll in the Work Ready Program, a collaboration between the Regional Office of Education 17 and the Livingston County Career Center.
The program will offer classes to students in the growing career fields of healthcare support, allied health, and 21st-century manufacturing. The goal of the courses, as stated by the collaborative’s application, is to teach students tangible skills that can be taken directly to the workforce.
The pilot program’s three initial courses reflect entry-level career opportunities projected to be increasingly in demand in the Central Illinois workforce over the next decade.
Heartland Community College will provide the course offerings and the pilot will allow students to obtain high school credit while demonstrating competencies in math, science, and health.
“We are pleased to receive Illinois State Board of Education Approval for our application,” says Regional Superintendent of Schools Mark Jontry.
“This represents yet another example of the collaborative spirit that is very strong in our region between our K-12 districts and higher education and we are excited for the opportunities it will provide our students.”
The program is slated to begin in the fall of 2020.
A.J. Harris can be reached andrew.harris@cumulus.com
