Best Inc. awarded $110,000 apprenticeship expansion grant

The Business Employment Skills Team (BEST) Inc. was recently awarded an apprenticeship expansion grant in the amount of $110,000 from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

These funds will be used to provided business engagement and technical assistance for the development of new and expansion of existing apprenticeship programs.

The grant is for a one-year period, with the possibility of extending for up to four additional years in June of 2024.

This technical assistance and outreach covers the eight counties that BEST services including: Bureau, Carroll, Jo Daviess, La Salle, Lee, Ogle, Putnam and Whiteside.

Best staff will be reaching out to area companies across all industry sectors in the counties they serve in an effort to expand apprenticeships opportunities for area job seekers and provide a skilled workforce for area businesses.

For more information, contact Dianna Schuler at dianna_schuler@best-inc.org.