Six-week program teaches the core competencies required for job placement in the utility, construction industries

CHICAGO (Oct. 25, 2021) – ComEd today announced the CONSTRUCT Business Operations Academy, a new pilot program to increase the pool of qualified minority candidates for entry-level administrative and project coordinator roles in the utility, construction and related industries. The program is administered by YWCA Metropolitan Chicago and is funded by ComEd and INTREN.

"As part of our commitment to lifting up the communities we're privileged to serve, ComEd runs or supports several successful job training programs," said Diana Sharpe, vice president of economic and workforce development with ComEd. "After placing hundreds of diverse job seekers in entry-level jobs in the construction industry through the CONSTRUCT Infrastructure Academy, we're thrilled to expand our workforce development program with the addition of the CONSTRUCT Business Operations Academy."

Through the CONSTRUCT Business Operations Academy, participants will learn about business operations and project management; develop the professional skills, or soft skills, necessary to succeed in an office environment; complete a capstone project with industry-specific case studies; and receive job placement and support services. The six-week pilot program will run from late October 2021 to early December 2021, and graduates will earn a Business Administration 101 certificate from St. Augustine College in Chicago.

"YWCA Metropolitan Chicago values its longstanding relationship with ComEd in the area of workforce development," said Shelley Bromberek-Lambert, Interim CEO of YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. "We are excited about this new program and the skills and training it will bring to our constituents, preparing them for meaningful careers."

The new CONSTRUCT Business Operations Academy is part of the ComEd Infrastructure Academy, which seeks to prepare job seekers for entry-level roles in the utility and construction sectors. Since 2013, more than 600 students have completed the Academy with 70 percent of them securing employment shortly after graduating – many of them women, African Americans and Latinos who historically have faced barriers to entering these industries.

Through the ComEd Infrastructure Academy, ComEd works with 10 non-profit training affiliates and more than 40 corporate partners to recruit, train and hire candidates. Program graduates are better prepared to enter related fields with the knowledge and training that qualify them for entry-level jobs with good-paying, livable wages.

For more information or questions about the CONSTRUCT program, contact WorkforceDevelopment@ComEd.com