Group touts benefits of living, working in McHenry County

The McHenry County Economic Development Corporation reached out recently to Metra commuters during their early morning commute from the Crystal Lake Main Street, Pingree and Cary Metra stations.

The MCEDC and its Workforce Development Committee and Medela Inc. sponsored the project in an effort to promote living and working within McHenry County. Volunteers at the stations handed out fliers advertising current professional jobs available within McHenry County with salaries beginning at $40,000. Most commuters leaving McHenry County for jobs have the misperception that there are not well paying professional level jobs available here. Many commuters were surprised at the professional openings that were listed on the flier.

Mary Gentili, Economic Development Coordinator of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation stated "Many McHenry County residents have a misperception about the jobs available here. With two-thirds of our labor force commuting outside the county, our goal for this project was to get people to discover firsthand the 'workforce reality' of employment demands, expectations and opportunities in McHenry County."

Cindi Carlotti, Director of Sales for Working World, noted that commuting cut into time spent at home and could increase stress with people getting stuck in traffic or missing the train. "There are many good career opportunities for our residents here" Carlotti said. "We hope people will be encouraged to explore all career options and the workforce opportunities in McHenry County."

Cutting the rate of commuters traveling outside McHenry County relieves stress on our infrastructure and congestion. Matching residents with local jobs increases the quality of life for everyone in McHenry County.

MCEDC provides a Professional Job Board that can be found at mcedc.com/resources/job-board.html.