ECC gets $600,000 job training grant

Elgin Community College was one of just 10 community colleges across the nation to receive a $600,000 job training grant.

The grant, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Hispanic Serving Institutes Across Communities Program, targets low-income residents who are unemployed or underemployed and provides them with access to noncredit training classes and job placement.

According to program Director Dave Butts, it will train about 250 people over a 3-year period. Each participant can attend one job training course and get course materials for free.

ECC was the only community college in Illinois to net the funds.

Butts, a Cary resident with human resource and grant management experience, works closely with officials from HUD as well as program participants.

"Dave has jumped right in and is doing an outstanding job of developing the guidelines and procedures needed to implement this project," said Susan Van Weelden, ECC's director of community engagement and economic development, in a news release.