Training center creates Chicago vocational jobs

Posted on July 1, 2017

The opening of a new training center will create more Chicago vocational jobs.

Peoples Energy Training Center is a new utilities training center in the Little Village.

The state-of-the-art facility will provide annual training to more than 1,600 utility workers and fire officials across the region, while also providing much-needed vocational programming to help prepare Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students for future jobs in the gas and energy field.

“Turning this once vacant piece of property into a state-of-the-art training center for generations of workers was only possible because so many people shared a vision of what could be accomplished together,” Matthews said. “Our customers, CPS, the city of Chicago and the local community will all share in the benefits this facility.”

The new facility will be home to the Peoples Gas Utility Training program, a vocational job training partnership with  CPS. The program kicks-off this summer and will prepare students from Dunbar Vocational, Fenger, Little Village, Lawndale, and other area high schools for potential jobs as “Gas-Track” Workers following graduation.

“Peoples Gas has made a major investment in our vibrant Little Village community, one that will create jobs and provide educational and economic opportunities for our local businesses and primarily Mexican residents,” said Alderman Ricardo Muñoz (22nd Ward). “The CPS partnership is especially significant because it will provide our youth additional educational and career opportunities to help them succeed and make their families proud.”

The Peoples Gas Utility Training program includes:

• A six week summer internship for two cohorts of 15 to 20 juniors and/or seniors to experience the Natural Gas industry;
• Roughly five field trips to the training center and other experiential opportunities; and
• After school training courses for seniors to prepare for natural gas industry job opportunities.

The new 100,000 square-foot training center located at 4228 W. 35th Place features indoor and outdoor training areas, including a fully functioning natural gas delivery system that includes 20 structures for training in system maintenance, gas leak investigation, excavation and directional drilling. The campus also includes an area for fire prevention training with the Chicago Fire Department and an area for commercial driver’s license training.