American Job Center Momentum Newsletter – August 2026

The August 2026 edition of The Momentum Newsletter highlights how the American Job Center continues to connect job seekers, youth, and businesses with workforce development opportunities across Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer Counties.

This month’s newsletter features the Mercer County Youth Summer Work Program, showcasing how local youth gained valuable work experience while making a positive impact in their community. The American Job Center produced a video sharing the program through interviews with administrators, employers, and participants, along with before-and-after project highlights.

The newsletter also celebrates a WIOA-funded success story, featuring a participant who earned her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) credential after receiving Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) scholarship assistance. Her testimonial highlights the life-changing impact of workforce training and career support available through the American Job Center.

Also featured is the strong community response to the Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP) orientation hosted by IDES and the Illinois Department of Transportation. The standing-room-only event demonstrated growing interest in careers in the skilled trades, with participants preparing to begin the earn-while-you-learn training program at Black Hawk College.

Additional updates include revised public office hours for American Job Center locations serving Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer Counties.