New Kankakee County “Career Coach” Tool Matches Residents with Local Jobs and Training

From Kankakee Community College 8-11-2020

Kankakee Community College has added a free interactive tool to its website that helps students and prospective students find careers that match their interests.

The software, called Emsi Career Coach, tailors career options for users based on questions about themselves. The personalized results include career titles, labor market data and academic programs that could lead to those demand occupations. The software can also be used to build resumes and connect to job openings locally and regionally. Job listings feed into the Career Coach tool from Indeed.com.

Employers can also upload job listings directly to the portal. Click for instructions.

Career Coach is free and is available for anyone to use.

KCC partnered with the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley and the Kankakee Area Career Center to bring the tool to the community.

“A tool like this helps filter the career options and choose a path that fits,” said Matthew Kelley, director of the Kankakee Area Career Center. “That’s really beneficial, because choosing a career can be a roadblock for some students.”

“Career Choice uses a personalized approach,” said Lesley Cooper, director of Institutional Effectiveness & Assessment at KCC. “This instrument starts with questions about the user’s preferences and interests. Then, it helps them explore what careers are a good fit for those strengths and interests. So, it’s customized for each person.”

“With the global market undergoing such significant transformation, it’s essential that we clearly connect the dots for job seekers regarding their career options and relevant training,” said Tim Nugent, President and CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County. “Demand skills are evolving rapidly. Career Coach is a powerful tool that takes a lot of the mystery out of the workforce readiness process, providing personalized information about career matches as well as local training and job opportunities.”

Access Career Coach through KCC’s Programs page or directly here.

Career Coach is a product of Emsi, a labor market data company that works with job seekers, employers and educators.