Workforce and Professional Development Institute

Stories and Testimonials

Client Solutions Testimonial: Baxter Healthcare Corporation

A training program developed by Client Solutions is helping Deerfield-based Baxter Healthcare Corporation. Read more

Small Business Testimonial: Gil Plumbing

The Illinois Small Business Development Center’s advisors assist Gil Plumbing with financial challenges. Read more

Judicial Services Testimonial: Motorist and National Safety Council

Christine Burke of Lake Barrington, IL, credits an NSC defensive driving course taught by CLC’s Judicial Services with literally saving her life. Read more

Client Solutions Testimonial: Baxter Healthcare Corporation

Complete story:

A training program developed by Client Solutions is helping Deerfield-based Baxter Healthcare Corporation increase manufacturing employees’ job knowledge and skill level at its manufacturing facility located in Round Lake, Illinois.

Baxter produces millions of pre-filled intravenous medications each year at its Round Lake campus. Since 2006 nearly 400 Baxter manufacturing employees and supervisors have completed the Client Solutions training program, an effort the company credits with increased employee job knowledge and engagement.

"Our employees are our greatest asset. It is our responsibility to ensure they have quality training that will contribute to their overall success in our organization," said Velma Gordon, Director of Human Resources. "Baxter is committed to providing comprehensive training programs to our employees to ensure an increase in job knowledge, skills, quality performance and promotional opportunities. Our relationship with the College of Lake County is critical to the success of our training endeavors here at our Round Lake facility."

Baxter’s Round Lake manufacturing facility wanted to move from a qualification-based training program to a certification-based program. In doing so, the company wanted an approach that would give the employees a more comprehensive understanding of their duties.

"We wanted an adult learning program that combined hands-on, classroom, and self study,” Gordon said. “Because CLC is known for Adult Learning programs, we partnered with them to study our work processes and develop a comprehensive training program to increase the skill level and job performance of our employees."

Because the Client Solutions training programs are working so well in its Round Lake manufacturing facility, Baxter plans to continue to use this approach to redesign its training programs in laboratory practices for microbiologists and chemists. "It’s been great working with CLC. We look forward to the relationship continuing."

Small Business Testimonial: Gil Plumbing

Complete Story:

Twenty years ago, Tim and Karen Keefe pursued their own version of the American Dream by starting their own plumbing business out of a one-car garage next to their Wildwood home. Over the years, the business expanded to seven fulltime employees and a larger building. But the economic downturn was draining the Keefes’ business worse than a leaking main line. By the fourth quarter of 2008, business dropped 60 percent, and the company had to lay off three plumbers and two office employees.

Thanks to the small-business consultants from the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Keefes were able to retool and "re-plumb" their business, weather the current recession and prepare for future growth.

"I knew I needed help, said Karen Keefe, who has a degree in economics and manages the business end while Tim, a licensed plumber of 25 years, services customers. They turned to the Illinois Small Business Development Center and worked with the center’s business advisors.

"I brought in my P & L (profit-and-loss) statement and we went through it item by item," Keefe said. "Our advisors had a good understanding based on their own solid business experience. They also had good technical skills in reading a P & L statement and understanding the needs of a small, family-run business."

Based on advice from the Illinois SBDC, Keefe said she scaled back her company’s land-based telephone line, eliminating one whole phone number. "We also reduced our faxing to receiving only, and we use e-mail as much as possible," she said. "You won’t believe how much money you save using e-mail over faxing for estimates and ordering supplies. We also replaced a color printer with a black-and-white, and eliminated GPS units that were used in tracking our fleet vehicles."

"The advisors followed up with visits. We’re in a better financial position now, and we have structure in place to grow when the economy rebounds."

Judicial Services Testimonial: Motorist and National Safety Council

Complete Story:

In late April 2007, Christine Burke enrolled in an NSC Defensive Driving Course, which was developed by the National Safety Council (NSC) and taught by instructors from Judicial Services at the Workforce Professional Development Institute. While driving less than a week later, she used a lesson from the course to narrowly avoid getting smashed broadside by a car that ran a red light.

Burke said that she hesitated at the intersection, recalling a tip she learned in the defensive driving course called "delayed acceleration" waiting two or three seconds before entering an intersection if yours is the first car there. She credits this decision with saving her life. "I just missed being killed by about three seconds," she wrote in a letter thanking the college for the defensive driving course.

CLC is designated as one of 1,200 National Safety Council training centers. Since the college’s program began in 1991, it has won numerous awards every year from the National Safety Council in each major award category, including being honored as the home of eight Instructor of the Year recipients.

"That record speaks volumes about the quality of the CLC instructors." Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

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