Champaign County Economic Development Corporation

10/12/2026

10/12/2026

Parkland College is offering a Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Program beginning October 19 (and running through November)! Students ages 16-24 can get hands-on experience in welding, electrical work, and pneumatics. For more information: https://www.parkland.edu/Main/Academics/Departments/Workforce-Development/Apprenticeships/Pre-Apprenticeship-Programs/Manufacturing

10/08/2026

Episode 100: Sonic Sensations - Why the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra Should Be On Your List to See

When the community supports local arts, we keep artists in our area, and we get to enjoy brilliant groups like the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. Jordan & Terri talk with Vijay, the Executive Director, to learn about how this group is rooted in community, their upcoming 67th season, and how they’re reaching out to the next generation of musicians: https://www.chambanaproud.com

This episode is sponsored by Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and supported by Busey Bank.

10/06/2026

Join us on Monday, October 19, from 4:30-6:30 PM at the Champaign Public Library for the Manufacturing Job Fair!

Confirmed companies (as of 10/6):
• APL Engineered Materials
• Cache Energy
• Clifford-Jacobs Forging Company
• Combe Laboratories
• Express Employment
• Flex-N-Gate Rantoul
• Frasca International
• Hudson Technologies
• Maverick Pipe
• Parkland College
• Plastipak Packaging
• Spherion Staffing & Recruiting
• Staff Management

Free and open to everyone. Attendees can enter for a chance to win a Chromebook.

Hosted by Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, sponsored by Plastipak.

10/06/2026

Heads up, Champaign County!

The ramp from eastbound I-74 to southbound I-57 will be closed for approximately two weeks: https://illinois-department-of-transportation.prezly.com/i-5774-ramp-closure-begins-oct-6

Heads up, Champaign County travelers! As part of ongoing work at the I-57/I-74 interchange in Champaign, the ramp from eastbound I-74 to southbound I-57 will close on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 6. The closure is necessary for permanent erosion control measures and will last approximately two weeks. A detour will be posted. More info: http://prez.ly/geYd

10/02/2026

The first Friday in October is celebrated nationwide as Manufacturing Day, and the State of Illinois recognizes October as ! Join us in acknowledging the products and the people who make them.

Photos captured by Anna Longworth Photography.

10/01/2026

It's University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Homecoming Week, and Carly & Terri break down what's going on! There's a lot beyond the orange and blue, too — Arthur Welcome Center's Pumpkin Festival, Alto Vineyards Champaign's Renaissance Faire, Octoberfest by Monticello Main Street, an open house at University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, and so much more: https://www.chambanaproud.com

Thanks to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for sponsoring the podcast and to Busey Bank for the support.

09/24/2026

Fighting Illini Football may be out of town this weekend, but there's still a lot going on!

Carly & Terri highlight must-do events, including Pygmalion, the Youth Literature Festival, 35 years of the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, a tribute to the legend Dolly Parton at Skateland Savoy, and the kickoff to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Homecoming: https://www.chambanaproud.com

Thanks to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for sponsoring the podcast and to Busey Bank for the support.

09/22/2026

leads the way. 🧡💙 U.S. News and World Report named Illinois among the nation’s top universities in its latest Best Colleges rankings.

09/17/2026

Join us Tuesday, September 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center in Champaign for a luncheon conversation with Austan D. Goolsbee, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, presented in partnership with Champaign County Economic Development Corporation and the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce. We'll hear a clear, practical discussion on inflation, interest rates, jobs, trade and manufacturing trends, and what they mean for Illinois employers, families and communities in the year ahead.