Last week, DiTrolio Flexographic Institute in Broadview, Illinois, held an open house focusing on the myriad ways in which converters and machinery manufacturers in the flexo industry can take advantage of government funding for the training and education of their employees.
The scope of the programs that are available are unimaginable and there’s no question that a vast majority of converters have no idea of the depth of assistance that is available to them. The Open House featured speakers from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership; the Alliance for Illinois Manufacturing; the Chicago Federation of Labor; and SERCO.
Because DiTrolio is based in the Chicago area, the agencies represented at the open house were all based in Illinois but the presenters were quick to point out that every state in the union has similar programs in place. A representative from the Federation of Labor summed up the agency’s philosophy as follows: “We have money and we really want to give it to you.”
As surprising as it was to hear such a bold statement it was no less surprising to find out just how closely the various state agencies work together to try to assist small businesses. Every participant stressed just how hard they try to work with each individual company to meet their needs.
One has to wonder just how many converters are fully aware of the sheer volume of assistance programs that currently exist. The truth is, there is money on the table to help converters better train their workforce but it is being left untouched in many cases because converters simply do not know it exists.
Vince DiTrolio, the Owner of DiTrolio Flexographic Institute has a wealth of experience and knowledge in this area. Converters looking to improve the efficiency of their workforce (and save thousands of dollars) would do well to ask his advice by calling the school at (708) 343-4334.
