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Press Contact: Jasmin Welte r
Tel. +1 312 494-2162 ׀ welter@gaccmidwest.org
Chicago � www.gaccmidwest.org Detroit �www.gaccmidwest.org
www.ahkusa.com
GACC Midwest Launches Dual Vocational Training Program ICATT Company-‐driven training program for SMEs to close skills gap
Chicago, August 14, 2015 – The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest together with Harper College and a group of 8 leading SMEs in Illinois launched the Illinois Consortium for Advanced Technical Training. The first cohort of apprentices of the 3-‐year long program will be trained as Industrial Technicians/Maintenance Technicians to fill much needed vacancies to secure companies’ productivity and profitability. "Companies like ours have been facing the challenge of finding employees with the right skills, and ICATT fixes this problem for us. Having GACC Midwest as a facilitator makes ICATT a reliable and feasible program to participate in, and WITTENSTEIN is proud to be part of the first group of companies involved,” says Dr. Anna-‐Katharina Wittenstein, Chairwoman of the Board, WITTENSTEIN holding, Corp. ICATT is the first GACC managed dual vocational training program. Acting as a catalyst, GACC Midwest advises and facilitates the program together with educational partner Harper College in Palatine and 8 SME companies. The company-‐driven project follows a sustainable and systemic approach to form a well-‐trained workforce for companies that might be smaller but are often leaders in their industries. “We knew there was a high demand for a program like this, but many SMEs don’t have the means to establish such training programs on their own,” says Mark Tomkins, President & CEO of GACC Midwest. Based on feedback from the industry, GACC Midwest conceptualized, developed, and implemented ICATT to alleviate existing shortcomings and meet companies’ needs. All graduates are trained to the German “gold standard” and receive certification from the AHK/DIHK – thus ICATT creates a future generation of highly skilled workers and assisting companies in increasing their business. “The format works, not only for our German subsidiaries familiar with the concept of dual vocational training but well beyond our membership base,” says Tomkins. “We have received interest from American companies with no ties to Germany.” The program is scalable, sustainable, and ready to expand for nationwide application. As a pioneer in educational progress, GACC Midwest is working with the GACCs throughout the US and the Skills Initiative of the German Embassy. This work has already received interest from the highest rank across the US, such as the National Governors Association, and the Departments of Labor, Commerce and Education. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee for Middle Skill Jobs: Education, Training And Certification Pathways, Tomkins is also taking an active role in shaping the future of a skilled workforce on a national level.
Press Contact: Jasmin Welte r
Tel. +1 312 494-2162 ׀ welter@gaccmidwest.org
Chicago � www.gaccmidwest.org Detroit �www.gaccmidwest.org
www.ahkusa.com
Current participants of the consortium are the following eight companies: Felsomat, Harting, Herrmann Ultrasonics, Komet, Scot Forge, Wieland, Wittenstein, and ZF.
GACC Midwest, Harper College, and participating companies with their trainees. About us The German American Chamber of Commerce® of the Midwest (GACC Midwest), headquartered in Chicago with a branch office in Detroit, was founded in 1963. GACC Midwest is an integral part of the network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHKs) with 130 offices in 90 countries around the globe. Our continuing mission is to further, promote, and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States, especially the Midwest. Our organization combines elements of a trade commission, a membership association, and a professional consultancy -‐ quite a unique concept in international trade promotion. GACC Midwest’s territory covers 14 U.S. states: the 13 states of the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) and Colorado. The GACCs are connected to the Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs) in Germany. The umbrella organization of the IHKs is the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), which also coordinates and supports the GACCs.
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