INA, Ill. (January 23, 2025) — Rend Lake College has been awarded more than $790,000 in grants that will enhance its training in a variety of trade programs, equipping students with valuable skills for in-demand careers, while also expanding access to critical mental health resources.
The five grants include the Noncredit Grant, Innovative Bridge Transition Grant, Trades Grant , Rev-up Grant and the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Support Expansion Project.
"With the recent grants awarded to RLC, we will expand resources, enhance programs and provide greater opportunities for our students' success," said Kim Wilkerson, Vice President - CTE & Student Support. "These funds will open new doors and ensure our students have the tools necessary to be successful."
Noncredit Grant
RLC will begin to offer noncredit introductory training in industrial food manufacturing. Workforce skills training seminars will be developed and offered to new and incumbent workers in the retail industry.
Topics within these trainings will include:
- Customer service skills
- Product knowledge
- Workplace safety
- High-tech fraud prevention
- Retail leadership
These trainings will be flexible to meet student and industry needs and will be offered in-person on campus and at industry sites.
Innovative Bridge Transition Grant
The welding world is becoming more diverse, and women are now entering jobs that were traditionally male-oriented. Welding offers a lucrative career for women who have the skills required in the welding industry today.
This grant program will hold two workshops for women that allow hands-on experience for those interested in a welding career. In addition to the workshops, RLC will also offer dual credit welding courses on campus.
Trades Grant
RLC will enhance the dual credit course offerings to allow for an increased number of stackable credentials. These credentials could be earned following supplemental hands-on training, establishment of a pre-apprenticeship program that provides marketable skills and knowledge that could lead into an apprenticeship and an increase in the awareness of trades opportunities for students seeking employment in a career that is considered a high-wage, high-demand job.
Rev-up Grant
With the Rev-Up grant, RLC will focus on the course development and revision of current IST (Information Systems Technology) programs to Mechatronics.
Currently, the RLC Industrial Maintenance program is in the Industry 3.0 phase. This project would allow the college to upgrade equipment and classes to address the new requirements of technicians in mechatronics and incorporate Industry 4.0 technologies, preparing students for industry expectations.
The Mechatronics program would train technicians on equipment and processes in cutting-edge manufacturing, including:
- Control instruments
- Hardware and software configurations of smart manufacturing systems
- Predictive maintenance technologies
- Analyzing equipment performance data and monitoring
- PLC programming
- HMI
- SCADA
- Pneumatics
- Conveyor systems
- Robotics
- Vision systems
- Networks
- Electrical systems
This program will align with SACA (Smart Automation Certification Alliance) for Industry 4.0 certification and micro-credentialing. Mechatronics technicians employ a combined knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems to install, repair, replace, and provide technical support to a wide variety of automated systems. These technicians are employed in nearly every field of manufacturing, especially those using Industry 4.0 technologies.
The revised program will be a two-year associate degree program that prepares students to work in highly automated manufacturing environments. This program reflects the needs of both local and worldwide industries and includes mechanical components, industrial electricity and electronics, programmable logic controllers (PLC), robotics, hydraulics and pneumatics, industrial networking, as well as an introduction to process control and SCADA systems.
Mental Health Early Action on Campus Support Expansion Project
With the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Support Expansion Project, RLC will improve access to mental health resources with an emphasis on peer support and counseling. The college will create opportunities for faculty, staff and students to learn more about community resources and strategies for managing mental health and well-being.
For more information about the grants, contact Kim Wilkerson at wilkersonk@rlc.edu or at (618) 437-5321 ext. 1775.
