Featured Archives - Page 2 of 16 - Southwestern Illinois College

SWIC to host Fall 2022 Job Fair Nov. 9 at Belleville Campus

Explore endless career opportunities at Southwestern Illinois College’s Annual Fall 2022 Job Fair.

The fair is in partnership with the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Veterans Department and will be held Wednesday, Nov. 9, from noon to 3 p.m. Located in the Belleville Campus Varsity Gym, 2500 Carlyle Ave., all aspiring job applicants should arrive dressed to impress with plenty of copies of their résumés.

The job fair is open to students, veterans, and the public. More than 100 employers will be representing different career fields ranging from healthcare, aviation, technical trades, education and more!

For more information regarding the job fair and list of companies attending, visit swic.edu/career-services and click on the Events tab.

In case of disability accommodations, contact Career Services at careerservices@swic.edu. For more information, call Career Services at 618-235-2700, ext. 5562, or toll free in Illinois at 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 5562.

SWIC Senior Companion Program Seeking Volunteers

Looking for a chance to brighten someone’s day? Become a Senior Companion!

The Senior Companion Program pairs Volunteers, 55 and older, with seniors who otherwise would not be able to live independently. The program is sponsored by Southwestern Illinois College and based out of Programs and Services for Older Persons in Belleville. Senior Companions are reimbursed for mileage and meals and receive a small stipend to offset the cost of volunteering.

Senior Companions provide companionship and assistance to their peers who are homebound or may be socially isolated. They visit one or more days per week for at least four hours per day and can assist with daily tasks, provide transportation, and give support and a much-needed break to full-time caregivers.

The program covers Madison, St. Clair, Monroe and Randolph counties.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Senior Companion Director Kate Bilyeu at 618-234-4410, ext. 7023.

SWIC & Local Manufacturers Showcased Future of Industry at Manufacturing Day Open House

More than 1,500 students from 38 high schools in the Metro East and Missouri turned out to learn more about education and careers in manufacturing at the Southwestern Illinois College Manufacturing Day Open House recently. 

It was the biggest MFG Day event in Illinois and one of the largest in the country.

Visitors had the chance to tour the SWIC Precision Machining Technology, Electrical/ Electronics, Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and Welding Technology labs. Plus, see first-hand how cutting-edge computerized machining and robotic welding equipment is changing technical education and manufacturing. Also, high school students had an opportunity to try their hands at virtual welding, enjoy 3D printing demonstrations, meet more than 30 local manufacturers and tour a local manufacturing facility.

Andrew Crowe, founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, a movement to revitalize American manufacturing, served as the keynote speaker. The Department of Defense Project MFG recognized the SWIC 2022 winners of the Project MFG competition; and SkillsUSA recognized the SWIC 2022 medal winners at the opening ceremony.

The ninth annual event was presented in partnership with the Gene Haas Foundation, Granite City Economic Development Department, IMEC – Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Madison County Employment and Training, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department and the Southwestern Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

For more MFG Day photos or more information about SWIC Technical Education programs, visit swic.edu/tech-ed.

Manufacturing Day: SWIC & Local Manufacturers Showcase Future of Industry

Check out high-tech automated manufacturing machinery, hear from regional manufacturers and discover how American manufacturing is flourishing – all at the Southwestern Illinois College Manufacturing Day celebration.

SWIC will open its doors for a Manufacturing Day Open House — Friday, Sept. 23, from
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — to showcase new technology, educational programs, career opportunities, products and services. The SWIC Sam Wolf Granite City Campus, 4950 Maryville Road, will serve as the event hub for the day.

More than 1,300 local high school students are scheduled to attend.

The celebration is free and open to the public. The welcome ceremony begins at 9 a.m.

“Our goal is to show students and the community what great opportunities are available in technical education at SWIC and that there is an abundance of well-paying, secure careers in manufacturing right here in the Metro East,” said SWIC Dean of Technical Education Brad Sparks.  

At the opening ceremony, Andrew Crowe, founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, a movement to revitalize American manufacturing, will serve as the keynote speaker. SWIC winners of national Department of Defense Project MFG competition will be recognized by Project MFG representatives and SWIC national SkillsUSA medal winners will be recognized by representatives of Illinois SkillsUSA.

At the open house, visitors can tour the Precision Machining Technology, Electrical/ Electronics, Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and Welding Technology labs. Plus, they can see first-hand how cutting-edge computerized machining and robotic welding equipment is changing technical education and manufacturing.

Also, visitors can try their hands at virtual welding, enjoy 3D printing demonstrations, meet more than 30 local manufacturers and tour a local manufacturing facility.

This event in presented in partnership with the Gene Haas Foundation, Granite City Economic Development Department, IMEC – Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Madison County Employment and Training, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department and the Southwestern Madison County Chamber of Commerce. For additional information, visit swic.edu/mfgday or call the SWIC Technical Education Division at 618-931-0600, ext. 7476.

St. Louis Wins Federal “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” Grant

“One voice + One plan = Big win for St. Louis”

ST. LOUIS – By speaking with one voice and putting forth one collaborative proposal with input from across the bi-state St. Louis metro, the St. Louis region has succeeded in winning a $25 million highly competitive federal Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant. The grant will be used to develop the St. Louis region’s globally significant advanced manufacturing industry cluster, including the construction of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center (AMICSTL) in North St. Louis City.

“One voice with one plan led to a big win for St. Louis,” said Jason Hall, CEO of Greater St. Louis, Inc., which is the formal applicant on behalf of the St. Louis metro, an effort it coordinated and spearheaded with the public-sector St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. “We can’t say this enough: when the St. Louis metro works together and speaks with one voice, we succeed. Working together as a metro is working, and it is how we will win this next decade for St. Louis.”

The Greater St. Louis, Inc. proposal was one of only 21 selected to receive a grant, less than 4% of the original applicant pool of 529. In addition to the $25 million federal grant, $16.3 million in local matching funds will go toward the effort, bringing the total investment in the metro, to date, to $41.3 million.

Advanced Manufacturing & The St. Louis Regional Tech Triangle

The grant will be used to unlock the full potential of the region’s advanced manufacturing cluster, fueling its growth and contributing to the continued development of two of the metro’s next generation industries: bioscience and geospatial technology. These three sectors comprise the St. Louis Regional Tech Triangle, which will grow the regional economy through workforce development, community revitalization and locational equity, and innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Advanced manufacturing and the Tech Triangle align with the strategic recommendations of St. Louis’ Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy and the STL 2030 Jobs Plan.

The centerpiece of St. Louis’ award-winning proposal is the construction and operation of AMICSTL. AMICSTL will bolster the region’s competitiveness and resiliency in advanced manufacturing and facilitate convergence of the advanced manufacturing sector with the other key industries in the region, including geospatial, bioscience, agtech, and aerospace.

“The money received from this grant will help establish the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center as the hub of the tech triangle. AMICSTL grew out of an initiative at St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, and we are so proud that this premier advanced manufacturing facility will come to fruition through this unified effort,” said Rodney Crim, CEO and President of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership.

Activities in prototyping, research and development, and workforce will help AMICSTL bridge the St. Louis region’s urban, suburban, and rural economies. It is anticipated that AMICSTL will become a globally recognized center for advanced manufacturing excellence.

“Uniting in support of AMICSTL is proof positive of how the St. Louis region succeeds when we work together,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Chair of AMICSTL and a member of the Chair’s Council of Greater St. Louis, Inc. “As a result of regional collaboration, St. Louis will now be home to a state-of-the-art facility and expandable campus that will drive diverse and equitable economic growth and elevate St. Louis as a global leader in advanced manufacturing and technological innovation. This one-of-a-kind manufacturing epicenter will enable talent development, leading-edge research and development, and prototyping and production capacity that uniquely span and connect multiple high-tech industries in the region – including the aerospace, agtech, automotive, biomedical, construction, energy, geospatial, and logistics sectors.”

Functioning as a “hub and spoke” model, the St. Louis Build Back Better partners will provide a central network for growing St. Louis’ advanced manufacturing innovation ecosystem by identifying and deploying next-generation technologies, supporting innovators and entrepreneurs in accelerating the transition from idea generation to prototyping and production, and developing a steady stream of qualified and diverse workers.

As the “hub” of the Build Back Better, AMICSTL will be a newly built innovation center located in disinvested North St. Louis City. AMICSTL will be a local asset with national impact – driving leading edge advanced manufacturing.

St. Louis Build Back Better partners and “spokes” focusing on inclusive workforce growth and training, innovation and entrepreneurship, community revitalization, and overall cluster development are Greater St Louis, Inc., St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, AMICSTL, Ranken Technical College, Rung for Women, Southwestern Illinois College, St. Louis Community College, BioSTL, Harris-Stowe State University, WEPOWER, Small Business Empowerment Center, Cortex Innovation Community, and the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Innovation Center (APIIC).       

Metro-wide Collaboration Led to Big Win

The Build Back Better Regional Challenge is part of the federal government’s plan to boost economic pandemic recovery and rebuild American communities, including some – like the North St. Louis communities that comprise much of the Tech Triangle – that have been grappling with decades of disinvestment further exacerbated by the pandemic. 

Collaboration in support of the Greater St. Louis, Inc. proposal span the breadth of the 15-county bi-state St. Louis metro. In addition to direct Build Back Better partners mentioned above, they include: City of St. Louis, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, East Central College, Economic Development Council of St. Charles County, Entrepreneur Startup Business Development Corporation (dba Arch Grants), Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance, Jefferson College, Lewis and Clark Community College, Missouri AFL-CIO, St. Louis County, Saint Louis Public Schools, St. Charles Community College, St. Clair County, Illinois, St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, St. Louis Development Corporation, St. Louis Makes, Technology Entrepreneur Center, Inc., The Boeing Company and more.

“This was truly a collaborative, regionwide effort that will benefit communities across the entire St. Louis and Metro East area. We are proud to have been a part of the proposal,” said Southwestern Illinois College President Nick J. Mance. “With funding from this grant, the Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy at SWIC will have the technology to recruit and train the manufacturing workforce of the future.”

Grant Funding

The $25 million award will be distributed toward several projects that will help grow the advanced manufacturing regional economy, including:

AMICSTL – $7M
(Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center & Ranken Tech)            

Inclusive Cross-Cluster Economic Development – $3M
(Greater St. Louis, Inc. and St. Louis Economic Development Partnership)                              

Preparing Women for Advanced Manufacturing Careers – $1M
(Rung for Women)  

Advanced Manufacturing Training Academy – $2.5M
(Southwestern Illinois College)         

Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training Center – $3M
(St. Louis Community College)         

Racial Equity in Innovation and Entrepreneurship – $7.5M
(BioSTL, Harris-Stowe, WEPOWER, Small Business Empowerment Center)

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Innovation Center – $1M
(Cortex)

SWIC HVAR Coordinator Otten Wins Patriot Award for Supporting Guard and Reserve Forces

Southwestern Illinois College Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Program Coordinator Keith Otten recently received the Patriot Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves Illinois Committee (ESGR). Pictured, from left, are: SWIC President Nick Mance, ESGR Representative Stan Brasch, Otten, ESGR Representative Paul Pitts, SWIC Dean of Technical Education and Workforce Development Bradley Sparks, and SWIC Chief Academic Officer Gina Segobiano.

The award is presented to a supervisor who contributes to national security and protecting liberty and freedom by supporting employees participating in the National Guard and Reserve Forces. SWIC HVAR Adjunct Faculty Member Joseph Deptula, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, nominated Otten for the award.

The ESGR is a U.S. Department of Defense program established in 1972 to promote cooperation and support between Reserves and Guard components and their civilian employers. The Illinois ESGR is one of 50 state volunteer committees along with committees in Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and District of Columbia.

For more information about ESGR visit ESGR.mil. For information about the SWIC HVAR program, visit swic.edu/hvar.

SWIC Releases Spring 2022 Semester Graduate List

The following is a list of Southwestern Illinois College students who graduated at the conclusion of the Spring 2022 Semester. The students’ names are listed alphabetically according to hometown.

The list also denotes students who graduated with honors (a 3.5 grade point average or higher) and with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

SWIC Spring 2022 Graduate List.

For more information, contact SWIC Enrollment Services at 618-235-2700,
ext. 5455 or 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 5455.

SWIC to offer Agriculture Business Management starting fall 2022

This fall, become a part of the expanding and lucrative field of Agriculture Business Management with a degree from Southwestern Illinois College. 

SWIC’s Agriculture Business Management program is designed to prepare students for careers in production agriculture and farm-related businesses. Given that the program consists of five semesters and 64 semester credits, the degree can be completed in only two years.

You can take classes in Crop Machinery & Equipment, Agriculture Sales, Animal Science and Agriculture Finance, to name a few.

“The degree program covers every aspect of agriculture business management from soil and crop science to agricultural marketing,” said Program Coordinator Kelcey Trewin. “There is such a huge need for these skills in the Midwest, especially in Illinois, which has such huge corn, soybean and pork industries.

Students completing the program will find a great demand for their skills and services in agriculture chemicals, feed, fertilizer, grain, seeds and other ag-related supply and service businesses. For example, graduates of this degree will be qualified for entry-level careers in: budget analyst, buyer and purchasing agent of farm products, farm and ranch manager, financial analyst, insurance adjuster and marketing specialist.

Registration is currently under way for the fall semester. Classes start Monday, Aug. 22.

For additional information about this program, contact SWIC’s Coordinator of Agriculture Business Management, Kelcey Trewin, at kelcey.trewin@swic.edu or visit the webpage.

SWIC Releases Spring Semester 2022 Dean’s List

The following is a list of full- and part-time students on the Southwestern Illinois College Dean’s List for the Spring 2022 Semester.

This list includes full-time students who completed 12 or more semester credits during the semester and part-time students who completed six or more semester credits during the semester while maintaining a 3.5 or higher-grade point average.

The students’ names are listed alphabetically according to hometown:

SWIC Spring 2022 Deans List

For more information, contact SWIC Enrollment Services at 618-235-2700, ext. 5455 or 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 5455.

SWIC New Student Orientation helps students plan success

Find out all you need to know to begin your Fall 2022 Semester at Southwestern Illinois College! Learn about strategies for success, instructor expectations, student resources and more with New Student Orientation.

Fall 2022 Semester classes begin Aug. 21.

Orientation events will be held at all three campuses: Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave.; Sam Wolf Granite City Campus, 4950 Maryville Road; and Red Bud Campus, 500 W. South Fourth St.

During the orientation, you will be able to:

  • Find your classes with a self-guided campus tour
  • Obtain your Student ID and parking sticker
  • Pick up textbooks and other materials in the BC and SWGCC bookstores  
  • Learn about academic programs and student services
  • Visit the College Activities booth to learn all about Student Life at SWIC
  • Explore technology essentials such as Blackboard, SWIC student email,
    eSTORM, SWIC Wi-Fi, and more.

At the Belleville Campus, choose from three orientation sessions: Thursday, Aug. 11,
3 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 12, 10 a.m.; or Friday, Aug. 12, 1 p.m.

Sam Wolf Granite City Campus students can participate in the New Student Kick-Off Wednesday, Aug. 17 from 4-6 p.m., in the Commons.

You can learn more about the Red Bud Campus at the New Student Kick-Off, Aug. 30 and 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Front Lobby.

Students can still apply for fall classes, search the class schedule and register online at estorm.swic.edu.

For more information, call Amy Brockman with Student Life at 618-235-2700, ext. 5324. Visit swic.edu/orientation for details.