Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce Seeks Employers to Hire Graduates of its Career Accelerator Program

The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce has been working hard to assist local community college students get into career paths over the last few months!  Along with Waubonsee Community College and the Quad County Urban League, the Chamber received a grant in early 2022 from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Lumina Foundation to aid Chambers of Commerce nationwide in promoting post-secondary degree attainment. The Chamber has been collaborating with its partners to identify obstacles for students in the Aurora region and develop solutions to overcome them. Additionally, the Chamber has been working with a national group of Chambers to generate and implement strategies that facilitate degree attainment for students and to analyze the outcomes of different programs. 
 

In Aurora, we have seen that one of the largest barriers to students attaining degrees is insufficient financial support for course materials like books, medical equipment (for CNA & CMAs), welding equipment (for Welding courses), and transportation to and from classes. To address these challenges, we launched the Career Accelerator program, which provides financial aid to students enrolled in select programs and connects them with employers seeking workers with relevant certifications. The program prioritizes students of color in the areas of Healthcare and Manufacturing. 
 

Since launching the Career Accelerator program, we have had over 50 applications from students from Waubonsee Community College and have been able to provide financial support to 51 students and have a few more slots available. This financial support is able to be used on books, materials, or gas cards to assist with transportation to and from school. As a program requirement, students must submit their resumes to be shared with Aurora employers to help them secure good jobs upon graduation. 
 

Our next steps are to connect students to employers in the coming month. Look out for updates from the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce about the Career Accelerator program and reach out to Erik Carlson (ecarlson@aurorachamber.com) if you are an employer interested in hiring recent graduates.