Career Education

Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 Job Fair Attracts Students Across the Region

April 30, 2025

More than 550 students from eleven high schools across School Districts U-46, 300, 301, and 303 attended the annual Regional Job Fair sponsored by Alignment and Northern Kane County Region 110 hosted at Elgin Community College. The students had the opportunity to connect with 74 businesses and community organizations representing a wide range of industries, including automotive, business, culinary, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, IT, and manufacturing. Thanks to resume workshops held beforehand, many students arrived prepared with resumes to share with potential employers. This year’s fair also featured 18 organizations offering summer employment, allowing students to complete job applications on the spot.

Elgin Township
First Mid Bank & Trust
Grand Victoria Foundation
Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc.
Hoffer Family and Foundation
David and Sandy Kaptain
KCT Credit Union
Nicor

Rosati’s Pizza
Saint Joseph Hospital
Seigle Foundation
Peter Sikorski Family
United Way Metro Chicago
Village of Hanover Park
Wintrust
Wolko Design Group

Thank you to our Exhibitors

Advanced Compressors
AHW
Altorfer CAT
Association for Individual Development
A-TEC Ambulance
AVID CNA School
Black Diamond Plumbing & Mechanical
Bob Loquercio Auto Group
Boys and Girls Clubs of Elgin
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Northwest Suburbs
Bria of Geneva Nursing and Rehabilitation
Bucher Hydraulics
Business and Career Services, Inc.
City of Elgin
COLLARS
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Northern Illinois
Convergint
Cosmetology and Spa Academy
Culvers
Custom Aluminum Products
D301 Facilities/Building and Grounds
D301 Food Service
D301 Human Resources
Dundee Township Park District
Durham School Services
Edward Jones Financial Advisor

Elgin Community College – Apprenticeship Program
Elgin Community College – Culinary Department
Elgin Community College – Dental Assisting Program
Elgin Community College – Phlebotomy Program
Elgin Community College – Talent Search
Elgin Community College – Welding
Elgin Community College – WIOA program
Elgin Industries
Elgin Neighborhood Network Mental Health Initiative
Elgin Sweeper
Gail Borden Public Library
GCAMP, Greater Chicago Advanced Manufacturing Partnership
General Kinematics
Golden Corridor Family YMCA
Highland Oaks of Elgin
Hoffer Plastics
IL Secretary of State – Department of Personnel
John B. Sanfilippo & Son (Fisher Nuts)
Judson University
Keller Williams Success Realty
LifeLine Ambulance

Lincoln College of Technology
LyondellBasell
MKD Electric
NICOR
Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
Official Finders
Old Second National Bank
Opiquad, LLC
Organic Life Smart Food Service
Pace Suburban Bus
Prime Healthcare: Saint Joseph Hospital Elgin
ProDriven Global Brands
Rosati’s Pizza
Santa’s Village
Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System
Streamwood Park District
Target
Truck Country
U-46 Human Resources
U-46 Plant Operations
Universal Technical Institute
Village of Hanover Park
VNA Health Care
West Dundee Fire Department
Wintrust / Elgin State Bank
workNet Batavia
Young Rembrandts

Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day reaches over 4,200 students!

March 11, 2025

More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Virtual Day on March 4. Reaching the largest number of students to date, 4,238 individual students attended the event with university and college admissions staff and visiting faculty. Students received information about FAFSA, learned about program admission and apprenticeships at Elgin Community College, and also had the opportunity to learn about corporate-based apprenticeships from Zurich Insurance. Students received advice from U-46 alumni now in college, learned about military service, along with student athletes receiving assistance in NCAA eligibility.

Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Sophomore and Junior Postsecondary Day:

Aurora University 
Bradley University
DePaul University 
Elgin Community College 
Elmhurst University
Grand Valley State University
 Harper College 
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
 Illinois State University
 Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology 
Loyola University 
Marquette University
North Central College

Northern Illinois University
Purdue University 
Southern Illinois University 
Universal Technical Institute
 University of Dayton 
University of Illinois Chicago 
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
 University of Iowa
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Whitewater 
U.S. Armed Forces 
Western Illinois University
Xavier University
Zurich Insurance

Thank you to all the volunteers from these organizations who made this event a huge success, as well as to our Alignment partners from the U-46 Postsecondary Success Team, Elgin Community College, and Northern Kane County Region 110, who facilitated 32 different sessions for students.

Zurich Hosts Second Annual Tour for U-46 Students

November 1, 2024

Thank you to Junior Achievement (JA) and Zurich Insurance for hosting the second annual Zurich Insurance tour for students from Bartlett, Larkin, and Streamwood high schools. Approximately 80 students spent the day at Zurich touring the company’s headquarters and learning about its apprenticeship programs. Previous U-46 graduates currently working for Zurich served as tour guides for the event along with JA and Zurich employees leading workshops in “It’s My Future”.

Alignment and School District U-46 continue to have strong partnerships with both JA and Zurich. Nancy Coleman, Alignment’s executive director, described the partnership as ” a shared mission between Alignment, JA, and Zurich to expose students to the corporate world and the steps necessary to be successful in that workplace. This partnership is long standing as evidenced by Zurich providing employment opportunities for U-46 graduates as a result of the three partners working together to help prepare students for the future workforce.”

Senior Postsecondary Virtual Day

October 23, 2024

More than 25 universities, colleges, and organizations joined Alignment and School District U-46 for the third annual Senior Postsecondary Virtual Day on October 16. A record number of students attended with 794 individual seniors participating. Seniors who attended the event were able to get information from university and college admissions staff, current college students, FAFSA, military service, and NCAA eligibility, etc.

For students who are undecided about their interest in postsecondary colleges and universities, a session was included about future employment and apprenticeship opportunities with information about Elgin Community College’s apprenticeship programs and the outlook for future employment in the region and state.

Thank you to the following colleges, universities, and organizations for partnering with Alignment and U-46 to offer the Senior Postsecondary Day:

Aurora University
Bradley University
DePaul University
Elgin Community College
Elmhurst University
Harper College
Honest Game – NCAA Academic Eligibility
Illinois Department of Employment Security
Illinois State University
Judson University
Lincoln College of Technology
Loyola University
Marquette University
North Central College
Northern Illinois University
Nova Southeastern University
Purdue University
Southern Illinois University
Universal Technical Institute
University of Dayton
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
U.S. Armed Forces
Western Illinois University
Xavier University

Teacher Pipeline and Human Service Internships Prepare Students to Give Back to the Community

August 15, 2024

Over this summer, 22 students were given the opportunity to explore career paths in the vast teacher pipeline and human services professions. School District U-46 led the way hosting over a dozen interns in its elementary and middle summer school programs. Other hosting partners included Bartlett Park District, Community Unit School District 300, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center.

These internships helped prepare students to become future teachers or work in the field of human services. While it may not seem like a big deal at first glance, preparing students for this field is especially important at a time like this as Illinois continues to experience a teacher shortage. In its sixth annual and most recent survey of teacher shortages in Illinois schools, the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) published the following:

73% of schools indicated they had teacher shortages
93% said the shortages were as bad or worse than the previous year
95% reported shortages in substitute teachers

In efforts to help lower these percentages, Alignment is working with school districts 300, 301, and U-46 in partnership with Elgin Community College, Judson University, Northern Illinois University, and Northern Kane County Region 110 to build across the region a sustainable pipeline of teachers for the next decade.

Students described their internship experience as challenging and very helpful in solidifying their career pathway. Joseline Flores, a Larkin High School student and an intern at the U-46 Summer School Elementary Program, enjoyed “getting an insight on how teachers plan their lessons of the day, and it made a positive impact on my path to early education. Not only did I learn and observe the teacher, but I got to experience lesson planning and teaching the students”.

Wilebaldo Modesto Hernandez, a student at Elgin High School, who participated in the U-46 Summer School Middle School Program shared that “being in the field of education is not easy. It takes patience and time, but it is worth it. Seeing others happy by your presence.” Wilebaldo and Joseline are just some of the many students who will graduate from one of the region’s nine high schools, planning to remain in the region for their teacher education preparation, and then hopefully choosing to begin their professional careers in the region’s elementary, middle, and high schools.

For those interested in the education and human services career pathways, Alignment and the Teacher Pipeline partners host Education Days at NIU, ECC, and Judson. Dates for the upcoming school year include the visit to NIU for Education Day on October 3, 2024, and the visit to ECC in January, 2025. Students will also have the chance to visit Judson University’s Department of Education in the spring.

It is a great opportunity for those interested in becoming a teacher or working in the field of human services and may even persuade some to apply for the internship opportunities offered next summer. Precious Angels intern and Central High School student, Nerivette Garcia, shared “It was an amazing experience that I would love to do again. I am so very grateful for all the people and wonderful kids I have met, truly something I will never forget.”

For students focusing on human services, internships varied from serving in a setting providing food and nutrition resources to public health access, advocacy, and communications for families. Elgin High School student and Well Child Center intern, Mahitha Ratakonda says “Seeing the gratitude and relief in the eyes of families receiving care solidified my commitment to pursue public health in the future. It reminded me that even small efforts can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”

Thank you to Bartlett Park District, Golden Corridor Family YMCA, Hanover Township Food and Youth Services, Precious Angels, South Elgin Parks and Recreation, Tails Humane Society, Village of Hanover Park, and Well Child Center along with School Districts U-46 and 300 for providing such a memorable experience for students wanting to pursue careers in teaching and human services.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Bartlett Park District Early Ed. Intern with students

Manufacturing Internships Lead to Future Career Choices

August 2, 2024

Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining gave 21 students the amazing opportunity to intern at their manufacturing and precision machining companies, some of the most prominent in the region. These students represented Bartlett, Central, Elgin, Hampshire, Larkin, and South Elgin high schools. They were able to experience an array of different internships focusing on various manufacturing processes and highlighting the numerous manufacturing jobs available in the greater Elgin area.

These internships provided a learning experience like no other and gave students an immense amount of experience and skill. Here is what Jacob Williams, a student at Central High School and an intern at Elgin Sweeper’s Welding Internship, had to say about his experience, “The internship taught me practical skills and real-world problem-solving techniques that are not covered in school. I learned important lessons about workplace dynamics, communication, and professional etiquette that can only be gained through actual work experience”.

Because of the diverse manufacturing product lines, students were experimenting with plastic injection molding, precision machining, hydraulic motor drives, electric zero-emission technology, laser scanner technology, modular industrial connectors, and various welding processes. Students also viewed the implementation of common manufacturing competencies shared by the industry, leading to them understanding the 5S pillars, OSHA safety standards, blueprint reading, CNC programming, electronics, precision measurement, automation and robotic applications. Ayush Patel, an intern at Bucher Hydraulics and South Elgin High School student, reflected it is”very interesting to me that you can always work to improve productivity and quality. Manufacturing has tons of innovation involved.”

Students had their hands full at this internship but that’s what made students enjoy it so much. Thomas Madsen, an intern at ITW Shakeproof and an Elgin High School student, shared “In these internships, there is never a dull moment, and you always feel like you are contributing to a team.” Edwin Alexander Romo, a student at Larkin High School interning at Lakeview Precision Machining, exclaimed “It’s absolutely great! I learned so much in just a short span of three weeks”. These internships provided students with a great amount of knowledge while making the experience enjoyable.

On top of providing a great experience for students now, the internships also helped prepare students for the possibility of getting a career in manufacturing in the future. Through these internships, students quickly grasped that the level of education required to work in the manufacturing industry varies by career pathway with some leading to entry-level jobs and great advancement opportunities starting with just a high school diploma. Others may require apprenticeship and skilled training programs while some may need a university degree. Gaining this type of knowledge can be the deciding factor for many. Hampshire High School student and Hoffer Plastics intern, Michele Parker states “It helped me decide what I’d like to do after high school. Rather than be an engineer, I would instead like to be a CNC programmer”.

For others, this internship also built an understanding of professional networking for future career success. Jingyen Wen, a Harting engineering intern and Bartlett High School student, described the experience as a “wonderful way to meet new people and establish connections that may be helpful in the future, as well as giving you a direction or idea of where you want to work after you graduate from college”. It is safe to say that these internship hosts truly have their students’ best interests at heart and want them to succeed, not just as they intern, but in all their future endeavors.

Thank you to Bucher Hydraulics, Elgin Sweeper, Harting, Hoffer Plastics, ITW Shakeproof, and Lakeview Precision Machining for providing students with such a remarkable internship and giving them opportunities to get ahead in their respective career paths.

Article by Imaan Azeem, Elgin High School
Alignment Collaborative for Education Intern

Career Education

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