Groups join forces to match people with jobs

The Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce has launched program in which it, along with Elgin Community College, the Illinois Department of Employment Security and Elgin United Way help the unemployed and underemployed.

As part of the "1,000 Workers Skills Initiative," the chamber will measure people's skills and try to put them to work at a job they match.

"We're excited about the program and it is going to help people who are job seekers to stand out from the crowd with this credential," said Bob Malm, economic development director at the chamber. "It's a community effort."

In the testing, which began last week, people are measured in three areas: applied math; reading for information; and locating information.

They receive a gold, silver or bronze score and are matched up with job leads from a variety of local companies, many of them manufacturing jobs. According to IDES, Elgin's unemployment level was 12.3 percent in May, the most recent figure available.

Although Elgin's unemployment rate actually decreased from 13.4 percent in April, it is still above the state and national rates of 10.8 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, for May.

Elgin United Way President Lynne Bosley said her agency contributed $10,000 to the $15,000 effort.

ECC proctors the test and kicked in the remaining $5,000.

"It fits like a glove into one of our three vision and impact areas," Bosley said. "To achieve long-term change, we have to help people get out of crisis mode and into jobs that pay a living wage. It's almost like an ACT or SAT for a blue collar environment."

IDES works to identify people who can take the test. For details, call (847) 741-5660.

• Staff writer Lenore Adkins contributed to this report.