Kevin and William both completed our last YMA Training and worked with DeeDee Jones, MR's Industry Coordinator, to find good jobs. They both applied to Novolex Duro Bag in Alsip, IL, but only Kevin was called back for an interview. Kevin relies on William, who owns a car, for transportation. Kevin's interview went well but he was concerned about not being able to get to work if his brother ended up getting a job somewhere else. DeeDee advised Kevin to let the company know about his situation and let them know that William also completed the same YMA training. The company asked Kevin to go get his brother for an interview and both were made offers to start as Machine Operators making $19.21/hour on the 2nd Shift. Both brothers have already completed their first 30 days on the job which they are very happy with.

Help us get the word out! Recruiting great candidates for our next YMA Training cohort. The program starts on August 8! 10-12 weeks of paid training, work experience and manufacturing career readiness support! Open to young adults 18-24 from west and south sides of Chicago, and the south suburbs of Chicago. Contact DeeDee Jones for more information - 773-278-5418 x21; [email protected].

On March 23, 2022, Alderman Michael Rodriguez, Ward 22, submitted a resolution to endorse the Manufacturing Corporation Reinvestment Act (HR5124).  In short, we want Chicago to take the steps needed to dramatically expand the community engagement, programs and supports that get more low-income, Black, Latinx and other people and youth of color willing and able to pursue and persist in manufacturing/STEM related career pathways that lead to high-quality lives and wealth creation opportunities.

In the meantime we continue to engage our network and work to build awareness and public support for this resolution. As of the first week of July, we are close to 100 endorsers for this resolution, 37 individuals and 51 organizations and businesses, all representing manufacturers, social and workforce service agencies, churches, community leaders and community-based organizations - a powerful alliance! Help us get this number to 150! Sign on today, or contact David Robinson, [email protected], 773-278-5418 x 19, for more information. Read more here.

The faith community in the region continues to support manufacturing as a tool for social inclusion and sustainable community development through the Ministers for Manufacturing committee of the Chicagoland Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC). On June 21, the committee and stakeholders met at the state-of-the-art Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center (MTEC) at Daley College. The meeting provided an opportunity for Daley College, which is led by President Dr. Janine E. Janosky and David Girzadas, Dean of Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, to share information about the Center and its role in preparing students for jobs in the manufacturing sector. Kari Williams from the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) shared information on their south side training and support center. Ministers for Manufacturing leaders are committed to planning next steps for more policy engagement at the local, regional, state and federal levels.

Since the early 1980s, Manufacturing Renaissance has been inspired by and a student of worker ownership models, recognizing their potential for expanding wealth creation opportunities for communities that have traditionally been excluded from business ownership and wealth creation, especially in the manufacturing sector. Over the years MR has provided leadership in efforts to raise awareness of the importance of worker ownership, and support its development in Chicago. MR continues to take advantage of every opportunity and strategic partnership to keep learning and finding ways to make local connections between international best practices and our work anchored in the Chicagoland region. Most recently:

A hearty congratulations to our colleague, newly elected Judge Rev. Timothy W. Wright III. A regular advisor to MR local and national efforts, Judge Wright earned a landslide victory in his race to fill a vacated seat in the 5^th subcircuit district in the City of Chicago in recent Illinois elections. Judge Wright has an impressive history of policy leadership, community advocacy, and innovative disruption on behalf of the underrepresented.  In addition to his legal work, Wright was involved in politics in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the director of intergovernmental affairs and commissioner of economic development for the City of Chicago under mayors Harold Washington and Eugene Sawyer, a domestic policy advisor for President Bill Clinton, and chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush.  

The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center has regular technical assistance forums and workshops for manufacturers in Illinois. Upcoming events will cover women in IL manufacturing interested in enhancing finance skills, and building talent pipelines. Read more here.

Podcast: The Manufacturing Report Discusses how community colleges are collaborating to expand racial equity in manufacturing.

European ESOP: The Main Structural Features and Pilot Implementation in Slovenia David Ellerman is a leading theoretician in the field of employee ownership. David was one of the first to introduce Mondragon to activists in the US and was a founder of the Industrial Cooperative Association. David currently lives in Slovenia and has founded the Institute for Economic Democracy.

John Scheflow, who recently joined the Board of Directors of Manufacturing Renaissance, has had a wide-ranging career as an attorney as well as a variety of personal experiences and memories that connect him to the Renaissance. “I saw in Manufacturing Renaissance the opportunity to put my professional skills to use,” he says. “I think their approach is something I’ve always liked in that it seems like it’s simultaneously about identifying a problem and proposing a solution. It’s about building up programs that benefit communities.”

His family’s roots also suggest a strong connection to the world of manufacturing. “My mom’s side of the family were immigrants from Russia. My grandpa worked at Chrysler. They were able to come to Detroit and work for a car manufacturer, and receive a pension.” “My grandpa was certainly a refugee,” Scheflow adds. “He was one of those people who fled Stalin during the war. It was a very tough life.” His memory of that story reinforces something he learned early on about work, opportunities, and manufacturing. “The trades or manufacturing don’t have to be a second option,” he says. “For a lot of people, it’s a better fit...” Read more here.