Lifetime Joliet resident to assume position as Director, Will County Workforce Investment Board
- Abigail Blome
- Sep 5, 2017
- 2 min read
Caroline Portlock, a Joliet resident since childhood, will be taking over as the Director of the Will County Workforce Investment Board (WIB). Portlock will be replacing Pat Fera, who held the position for nearly 17 years.
“I am proud to join the Workforce Investment Board and lend some of my experience to keep Will County at the forefront,” Portlock said, adding that she looks forward to helping local businesses grow as she assumes her new position.
Will County Executive Larry Walsh said that he believes Portlock to be a great addition to the WIB team.
“Caroline has a long history in workforce development and a great knowledge of Will County,” Walsh said. “Pat has done an extraordinary job with our Workforce Investment Board. She has been a pioneer in building great relationships across all sectors of business in Will County. Pat is leaving some big shoes to fill but I have no doubt that Caroline will be up to the task.”
Portlock’s prior experiences include serving as the Director of Workforce Development with Joliet Junior College and as the President and CEO of the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce, which both included many similar duties.
“The primary role of the WIB is to use federal dollars to help people who are unemployed or underemployed in our county,” she said. “The board works to set policies to identify sectors of employment growth and identify training opportunities in these sectors. In this fast changing world of employment, trends are changing all the time.” Portlock continued, saying that the main trend change in employment is how often individuals are switching jobs today.
“Years ago, your mom or dad would have maybe one or two jobs throughout their entire lifetime. Now there is so much competition, people are moving into different jobs or retraining for a new career all the time.” Another challenge that Portlock says Will County is facing is the change from being an area largely known for farming to a more industrial area. As Will County is home to the largest inland port in North America, more available jobs have been appearing in different sectors of employment.
