Bolingbrook Chamber completes inaugural Work Force Academy

The Bolingbrook Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) is wrapping up its first complete semester of their Work Force Academy program with the Bolingbrook High School Cooperative Work Training (CWT) program.

“We are pleased that we are able to complete a semester with the students,” said BACC Executive Director Kevin O’Keeffe. “We started in March of 2020 and were able to get in three, in-class presentations but then of course COVID happened.

“This semester we were able to do the presentations via ZOOM,” he said.

The Work Force Academy is a partnership with BHS’s CWT program in which area business leaders present various topics to students in the program. The intention is to build a strong potential workforce for the area business community. Presentations run the gamut of skills necessary to be effective employees and future business leaders.

Early in 2020 the BACC met with interested businesses, informing them of the partnership and asking what information the businesses want imparted to the students. Using this input, the BACC and the presenters tailored a curriculum specific to their suggestions.

“When we first approached the teachers of the program they were beyond enthusiastic,” said O’Keeffe. “After this semester the enthusiasm has not waned. The same is also true of our presenters.”

At the end of each semester the students receive certificates of program completion. The students can include the certificates in their resume. BACC business members are aware of the program and what completion entails.

“As we expand the program and are able to do in-person presentations we expect this partnership to really bloom,” said O’Keeffe. “We hope to include field trips to our member businesses, to show the students the potential Bolingbrook has for their future careers.”

For more information on the Work Force Academy or other BACC programs please call 630-226-8420 or email gtucker@bolingbrookchamber.org.