NEW VIDEO

Incumbent Worker Training Changes Lives

Watch how workNet DuPage and Edward-Elmhurst Health teamed up to advance employee careers

January 27, 2020

Faced with record low unemployment levels in DuPage County and a rising need for Certified Nurse Assistants (CNA), Edward-Elmhurst Health and workNet DuPage banded together to upskill eligible entry-level staff in food, housekeeping, and laundry services. A cohort of employees, seeking to advance their careers, obtained CNA training at the College of DuPage, promoting them to a newly assigned role - Patient Care Technician. As an added bonus, workNet DuPage covered all tuition costs.

“My passion was always helping people, but I never knew I was able to do something like this.” –Yuri Dia

“Becoming a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) has definitely changed the direction of my career. It’s a foot in the door.” – Yerty Jurado

These moving testimonials are showcased in a new video jointly created by Edward-Elmhurst Health and workNet DuPage. The short clip illustrates the transformative power of partnerships between business and workforce development agencies and also captures the life-changing impact of a job training program recently made available to Yuri and Yerty and other Edward-Elmhurst Health employees.

This initiative, filling a critical need for more Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and Certified Medical Assistants (CMAs), is part of workNet DuPage’s broader campaign to navigate unemployed and underemployed residents towards in-demand career paths.

Last year, workNet DuPage awarded local employers, including Edward-Elmhurst Health, a total of nearly $400,000 in Incumbent Worker training grants – an unprecedented amount – to ensure the County’s workforce remained competitive.

20 local companies received grant funding dollars to build existing employees’ job skills. With employers in the driver's seat, companies met new demands, boosted productivity, and averted downsizing with customized training solutions. 643 IT, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics workers acquired new skills.