Season Greetings!
Mon Dec 21

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Small Business Support in Crisis Around the World
Mon Apr 27

Small businesses around the world have been especially vulnerable to this crisis. Image sourced from Bloomberg News. Today marked the beginning of the second application period for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. After the initial $350 billion in support was depleted in less than a week, US government approved an additional round of funding[…]

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Carley Pulford on Chicago-based Zefiro, a Zero Waste Store for Sustainable Living
Wed Mar 25

If you follow trends in eco-conscious living, odds are you’re familiar with the concept of zero waste. More or less self-explanatory, it describes a lifestyle that’s beneficial to the planet by creating as little waste as possible. Naturally, participation in zero waste varies by level of intensity. Some keep a modest compost bin next to[…]

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Rockford Group Providing Career Pathways for Women in Manufacturing
Thu Mar 05

Women of Today’s Manufacturing is a Rockford-area organization providing career pathways for individuals pursuing STEM and manufacturing careers. This continues our coverage of manufacturing workforce development in Illinois. Visit our earlier blogs on Illinois’ new apprenticeship legislation and our recent apprenticeship study. Last month, I stumbled across an organization called Women of Today’s Manufacturing (WOTM).[…]

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IL Plans to Expand Apprenticeship Programs
Fri Feb 07

Unemployment in the United States has hovered around 3.5% for the past 6 months. Illinois’ own rate hasn’t been too far off at 3.7%. Granted, these numbers are historically low; that’s cause for some optimism. At the same time, their negative implications shouldn’t be ignored. Employers nationwide struggle to find qualified workers. Per a recent[…]

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Workforce Development Survey – Italian Machinery
Fri May 03

FB International is proud to announce a partnership with the Italian Trade Agency and UCIMU. We will survey manufacturers across the Midwest and contribute to the creation of advance workforce development programs. The Calumet Green Manufacturing Partnership (CGMP) was a life-changing experience for me. Over the span of a few years, I visited over a[…]

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How CTA is Staying Afloat in the Rideshare and Micromobility Era: A Conversation with Steve Schlickman
Wed Mar 20

From motor scooters to shared bikes and ridehailing, city dwellers now have more options than ever before to choose how they get from one point to the next. New mobility providers offer an attractive array of services and have managed to draw in more and more users every year. These new users have come at[…]

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Strengthening the aviation maintenance workforce
Fri Feb 15

With more people aging out of the workforce than coming in, industries are adopting new strategies to address growing skills gaps. The aviation sector is no different. Last week, we sat down with aviation consultant Ed Glueckler to discuss workforce development in aviation maintenance. Read on for his thoughts on this industry’s labor force woes,[…]

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Discovering Tokaj: A Trip to the Storied Hungarian Wine Region
Tue Sep 25

At the end of August, FB International’s partner, Rick Perry, was invited on a trip to Budapest and the Tokaj region of Hungary to learn firsthand about the history of wine-making in the region and what makes Tokaj “terroir” so special. Rick’s account of his trip is featured below as are a selection of photos[…]

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How ISTI’s STEM Challenge Creates a More Inclusive & Diverse Talent Pipeline: An Interview with Mark Harris, President and CEO
Mon Sep 17

The Illinois Science and Technology Institute’s STEM Challenge is now in its sixth year. To learn more about it, we spoke with Mark Harris, president and CEO of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (the Institute, ISTI, is the C3 arm of ISTC). The Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) is a 30-year old, member-driven[…]

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