Press Releases and Speeches

Chancellor Watson Welcomes Mayor Daley in Announcing New Programs at Dawson Tech

Chicago, IL (November 8, 2005) - City leaders were on hand Tuesday at Dawson Technical Institute of Kennedy-King College, one of the seven colleges of City Colleges of Chicago, to announce new programs that will provide jobs and sponsor workers into the building trade unions.

Under an ordinance approved Nov. 1 by the City Council, the City will provide financial incentives to companies that sponsor Dawson Tech graduates for union apprenticeships, said Mayor Richard Daley at a news conference held at the school, located at 3901 S. State St. The ordinance will award a company credits to be applied toward its next bid on a City project for each Dawson Tech graduate it sponsors, Daley said.

The program is one way that the City Colleges of Chicago is helping to develop women and minority owned small businesses in all sectors, including the construction trades, said Wayne D. Watson, City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor.

"Unions, contractors, and City Colleges of Chicago will help build the capacity of [the building industry] to meet the growing employment needs of the city and state," said Watson said. "A big step toward that goal is being taken today."

Also on hand Tuesday were representatives from the Builders Association of Chicago and the Chicago and Cook County Construction and Building Trades Council.

"The beauty of this program is that it doesn’t force anyone to do anything, and it doesn't impose penalties," Daley said. "It brings the City a step closer to its goal of ensuring that the people who build Chicago are representative of the people who live in Chicago...Together, we can provide the young working people of our city with real opportunity."