Harper, ECC hold tours of joint Education and Work Center

After years of planning, the long-awaited Education and Work Center opened Thursday in Hanover Park, a novel facility that puts two community colleges under one roof with resources for the unemployed.

Elgin Community College and Harper College held a ceremony that drew state lawmakers and offered tours of the 10,900-square-foot space at 6704 Barrington Road, in the Hanover Square shopping center.

Harper and ECC will contribute $250,000 annually for three years for operations. The village kicked in about $715,000 to renovate the piece of the strip mall.

Both schools will offer free, adult education courses, and counseling on financial aid and scholarships. In addition, the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership will provide job training.