Press Contact: Jasmin Welte r

Tel. +1 312 494-2162 ׀ welter@gaccmidwest.org

Chicago � www.gaccmidwest.org Detroit �www.gaccmidwest.org

www.ahkusa.com

 GACC  Midwest  Launches  Dual  Vocational  Training  Program  ICATT  Company-­‐driven  training  program  for  SMEs  to  close  skills  gap      

Chicago,  August  14,  2015  –  The  German  American  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  Midwest  together  with  Harper  College  and  a  group  of  8  leading  SMEs  in  Illinois  launched  the  Illinois  Consortium  for  Advanced  Technical  Training.  The  first  cohort  of  apprentices  of  the  3-­‐year  long  program  will  be  trained  as  Industrial  Technicians/Maintenance  Technicians  to  fill  much  needed  vacancies  to  secure  companies’  productivity  and  profitability.    "Companies  like  ours  have  been  facing  the  challenge  of  finding  employees  with  the  right  skills,  and  ICATT  fixes  this  problem  for  us.  Having  GACC  Midwest  as  a  facilitator  makes  ICATT  a  reliable  and  feasible  program  to  participate  in,  and  WITTENSTEIN  is  proud  to  be  part  of  the  first  group  of  companies  involved,”  says  Dr.  Anna-­‐Katharina  Wittenstein,  Chairwoman  of  the  Board,  WITTENSTEIN  holding,  Corp.    ICATT  is  the  first  GACC  managed  dual  vocational  training  program.  Acting  as  a  catalyst,  GACC  Midwest  advises  and  facilitates  the  program  together  with  educational  partner  Harper  College  in  Palatine  and  8  SME  companies.  The  company-­‐driven  project  follows  a  sustainable  and  systemic  approach  to  form  a  well-­‐trained  workforce  for  companies  that  might  be  smaller  but  are  often  leaders  in  their  industries.    “We  knew  there  was  a  high  demand  for  a  program  like  this,  but  many  SMEs  don’t  have  the  means  to  establish  such  training  programs  on  their  own,”  says  Mark  Tomkins,  President  &  CEO  of  GACC  Midwest.  Based  on  feedback  from  the  industry,  GACC  Midwest  conceptualized,  developed,  and  implemented  ICATT  to  alleviate  existing  shortcomings  and  meet  companies’  needs.  All  graduates  are  trained  to  the  German  “gold  standard”  and  receive  certification  from  the  AHK/DIHK  –  thus  ICATT  creates  a  future  generation  of  highly  skilled  workers  and  assisting  companies  in  increasing  their  business.      “The  format  works,  not  only  for  our  German  subsidiaries  familiar  with  the  concept  of  dual  vocational  training  but  well  beyond  our  membership  base,”  says  Tomkins.  “We  have  received  interest  from  American  companies  with  no  ties  to  Germany.”  The  program  is  scalable,  sustainable,  and  ready  to  expand  for  nationwide  application.  As  a  pioneer  in  educational  progress,  GACC  Midwest  is  working  with  the  GACCs  throughout  the  US  and  the  Skills  Initiative  of  the  German  Embassy.    This  work  has  already  received  interest  from  the  highest  rank  across  the  US,  such  as  the  National  Governors  Association,  and  the  Departments  of  Labor,  Commerce  and  Education.  As  a  member  of  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences  Committee  for  Middle  Skill  Jobs:  Education,  Training  And  Certification  Pathways,  Tomkins  is  also  taking  an  active  role  in  shaping  the  future  of  a  skilled  workforce  on  a  national  level.    

Press Contact: Jasmin Welte r

Tel. +1 312 494-2162 ׀ welter@gaccmidwest.org

Chicago � www.gaccmidwest.org Detroit �www.gaccmidwest.org

www.ahkusa.com

Current  participants  of  the  consortium  are  the  following  eight  companies:  Felsomat,  Harting,  Herrmann  Ultrasonics,  Komet,  Scot  Forge,  Wieland,  Wittenstein,  and  ZF.    

 GACC  Midwest,  Harper  College,  and  participating  companies  with  their  trainees.      About  us  The  German  American  Chamber  of  Commerce®  of  the  Midwest  (GACC  Midwest),  headquartered  in  Chicago  with  a  branch  office  in  Detroit,  was  founded  in  1963.  GACC  Midwest  is  an  integral  part  of  the  network  of  German  Chambers  of  Commerce  Abroad  (AHKs)  with  130  offices  in  90  countries  around  the  globe.  Our  continuing  mission  is  to  further,  promote,  and  assist  in  the  expansion  of  bilateral  trade  and  investment  between  Germany  and  the  United  States,  especially  the  Midwest.  Our  organization  combines  elements  of  a  trade  commission,  a  membership  association,  and  a  professional  consultancy  -­‐  quite  a  unique  concept  in  international  trade  promotion.  GACC  Midwest’s  territory  covers  14  U.S.  states:  the  13  states  of  the  Midwest  (Illinois,  Indiana,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky,  Michigan,  Minnesota,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  North  Dakota,  Ohio,  South  Dakota,  and  Wisconsin)  and  Colorado.  The  GACCs  are  connected  to  the  Chambers  of  Industry  and  Commerce  (IHKs)  in  Germany.  The  umbrella  organization  of  the  IHKs  is  the  German  Association  of  Chambers  of  Industry  and  Commerce  (DIHK),  which  also  coordinates  and  supports  the  GACCs.