| About the Chicago MRC |
The Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council is a partnership of the region's labor, business, government, education and community leaders working together to establish the Chicago area as a global leader in advanced, high value-added manufacturing.Manufacturing is the single most important sector of the Chicago area's economy. The industry has the largest positive 'ripple effect' on the rest of the economy: each manufacturing job creates three more in related sectors. The industry is directly and indirectly responsible for over 1.7 million jobs in Chicago.The Renaissance Council's flagship initiative is Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), an advanced manufacturing-focused public high school on Chicago's west side that prepares students for leadership in all areas of the industry.Austin Polytech students learn about careers in manufacturing by working with our committed partner companies, who provide students with industry exposure and financial support.
Austin Polytech partners contributed over $150,000 to create our new Manufacturing Technology Center, a state of the art on-campus machining facility where students can earn industry-recognized credentials from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills.
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| Support Chicagoland Manufacturing Leadership | Your support makes our success possible. We need your help to deliver the resources, networks, and programs to help develop a skilled workforce and keep us on the cutting edge of innovation.
Please make your check payable to the Center for Labor & Community Research and mail it to us at 3411 West Diversey, Suite 10, Chicago, Illinois 60647.
CLCR is the non-profit fiscal and operational sponsor of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council.
You can also contribute online securely through PayPal by clicking below:
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| Contact Us | 3411 West Diversey, Suite 10
Chicago, Illinois 60647
P: 773-278-5418
F: 773-278-5918
chicagomanufacturing.org
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Chicago MRC Approves Resolution to Guide City Policy
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 At a January 11, 2012, Executive Committee meeting, executive director Dan Swinney proposed a resolution to guide the Chicago MRC's position relative to City of Chicago support for manufacturing and the 107,000 jobs provided within the city boundaries. The resolution was approved as follows:
Chicago has a recognized history as a leader in global manufacturing and is the site of "best practice" in contemporary programs that if understood, supported, and expanded will re-establish Chicago's global leadership position.
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Chicago MRC Sparks Wave of NIMS Accreditations in Illinois
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Skills standards and industry-recognized certifications -- through programs like the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) -- have been a key part of the Chicago MRC's strategy even before its formation in 2005. For over five years, we have aggressively promoted NIMS credentials and accreditation, especially through the City Colleges of Chicago.
 | | NIMS treasurer Bruce Braker presents Austin Polytech principal LaTonya Austin with a NIMS accreditation plaque |
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Chicago MRC Fuels National Manufacturing Renaissance
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The Chicago MRC is a key element behind the growing success of the National Manufacturing Renaissance Council, which leads replication of the MRC model and advocates nationally in support of U.S. advanced manufacturing leadership.
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"Both the Manufacturing Renaissance Council itself and Austin Polytechnical Academy really do provide exemplars for where I think we as a country need to move."
-- Robert Schwartz, Professor of Practice and Former Academic Dean, Harvard Graduate School of Education
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Inspired the Chicago MRC, leaders in the San Francisco region established the Bay Area Manufacturing Renaissance Council, which has secondary and post-secondary initiatives underway.
The Chicago MRC also recently took the spotlight at three top-level events organized by the National MRC: a congressional policy briefing for U.S. House of Representatives staff; a funders briefing for the New York philanthropic community; and a manufacturing roundtable for the House Manufacturing Caucus.
The National MRC leadership team includes the Center for Labor & Community Research (managing partner), California Teachers Association, Manufacturing Institute, National Institute for Metalworking Skills, National Urban League, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
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Austin Polytech Continues to Gain Local and National Support
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2011 was a big year for the career program at Austin Polytechnical Academy, the Chicago MRC's flagship initiative in secondary education, which continues to draw positive attention from local and national leaders.
 | "The partnerships created in this program should serve as a model for all of our industry clusters."
-- Veenu Verma, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE), Chicago Public Schools |
Recent developments include:
- Austin Polytech was featured on Nightly Business Report, a PBS program (video and transcript).
- 43 supporters attended the Partner Appreciation Event on January 26, when Austin Polytech students and staff thanked local manufacturing companies for their involvement in the career program.
- Austin Polytech recently has hosted several VIP visitors, including: City of Chicago treasurer Stephanie Neely; Chicago School Board president David Vitale; representatives of IBM; and leaders from Dow Chemical, who declared Austin Polytech "best in class" for manufacturing education.
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Dept. of Labor Funds Training for Chicagoland Manufacturers
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.png) The National Institute for Metalworking (NIMS) was recently awarded a $2.2 million H-1B grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Chicago MRC and two more partners in southern California and northern Alabama.
H-1B grants are funded by fees paid by employers who bring in foreign workers to fill jobs they can't fill with Americans. These fees are then used to prepare Americans for those difficult-to-fill positions, such as CNC machinists.
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