PRESS RELEASE

LMW GROUP, INC. (nfp) STEPS-UP

The South End Global Manufacturing Technology Initiative

“Closing the Skills Gap in Manufacturing”

Introduction:

The Long, Myers, and Williams Group, nfp, (LMW Group) has developed an educational

program, The South End Global Manufacturing Technology Initiative (SGMTI) as a division of

the LMW Group. The SGMTI program began with LMW discussing with Illinois State Senator,

Elgie Sims, and his observing the lack of registered apprentice programs for high school students from underrepresented groups prepared to enroll in the highly technical manufacturing areas.

The Calumet Manufacturing Industry Sector Partnership (CMISP), a workforce network of over

30 manufacturing companies in southern Cook County, has acknowledged there is a need for

individuals to fill the skills gaps in the manufacturing industry. Only 14 percent of the district

students meet or exceed state standards in mathematics (2018 Illinois State Board of Education,

ISBE) and over 70 percent of the district students graduates entering a community are enrolled in one or more remedial courses (ISBE statistics). The manufacturing industry needs workers to

meet regional and state needs.

The southern Cook County district does not have a federally registered pre or apprenticeship

training program in manufacturing technology. However, the district has an engineering

program, but its focus has been on engineering design and a segment of manufacturing. There is

a lack of specific manufacturing programs that train the students for entry level manufacturing

jobs. Those engineering students who have completed the engineering program usually enter an

engineering program in a four-year postsecondary educational institute.

Dr. John W. Long, President, LMW Group, Inc. (nfp), Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois

at Chicago, and Educational Administrator was asked to develop a model for pre-apprenticeship

programs in high school environments. Dr. Long identified workforce experts Mr. Jim Nelson,

Head of the Illinois Manufacturing Association Foundation and Dr. Anna Helwig of South

Suburban College as individuals uniquely qualified to provide academic and technical support

within a manufacturing framework. The uniqueness of the South End Global Manufacturing

Technology Initiative is the holistic approach that Dr. Long has examined that deals with the

concerns facing enrollment of minorities, underrepresented groups, and specifically African

Americans in the highly technical manufacturing areas.

Goals

LMW Group’s, The South End Global Manufacturing Technology Initiative (SGMTI) goals for

this program have been carefully developed to ensure alignment with federal apprentice

guidelines, best practices in academic, district rules and regulation by a team of professionals

consisting of the Project Director, a retired professor of education; Director of the Illinois

Manufacturing Association Educational Foundation; ICATT; District 215 – high school

counselors; and Director of the 21 st Century program, former director of the University of Illinois at Chicago Academic Skills Department; the dean of STEM at South Suburban College, and a representative of OAI.

The long- term goals of (SGMTI) are to produce high school graduates with at least four

manufacturing career pathways upon graduation:

1. Enrollment in an advanced manufacturing apprenticeship program in a community

college

2. Enter an engineering program in a four-year institution of higher education

3. Obtain an entry level manufacturing job

4. Enter the military prepared to enter a manufacturing technology related field

The specific outcome of the South End Global Manufacturing Technology Initiative (SGMTI) is

to expose student participant to the opportunity to excel in an area of manufacturing technology

that will deliver successful career paths.

The LMW Group, a nfp organization, is in the business of improving and maximizing the use of

African American community developmental efforts and African American human capital. The

LMW Group devotes time, resources, and contributes to the creation of programs and procedures

that positively influence Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), higher

educational institutions, secondary educational facilities, and community organizations. Our

services include providing consultancy assistance to civic organizations, as well as governmental

agencies.

LMW Group research has found few organizations address the Human Development and Capital

needs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) or community-based

organizations. LMW is dedicated to identifying and serving the administrative, faculty, staff and

student human development capital needs of its clientele. LMW’s objectives are to render those

services that enable the successful growth of clientele and provide interactive communications

with all our stakeholders.