NICI Grantee Spotlight: OAI, Inc.
November 7, 2024
OAI, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides high quality technical training and education designed to open career pathways and provide valuable workforce credentials; field business and manufacturing success; promote health, safety and the environment; and support community development.
The organization employs a diverse team of over 40 professionals across multiple states. One location in particular — the South Suburban Cook County location based in Park Forest — will be opening a new Clean Energy Training Site through NICI’s support and partnership to promote workforce development and economic growth for the underserved Southland community. “The mHub¹ is known for manufacturing and when you mention it, everyone in the whole region knows what you’re talking about,” said Sandra Dafiaghor, PhD, Senior Director of OAI’s South Suburban location. “That’s what we’re hoping the site would be in the Southland.”
Sandra and Xiaofan Liu, Director of OAI Chicago Southland, talked with NICI about their vision for the Clean Energy Training Site and their holistic approach to supporting Southland communities.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. See footnotes for further information regarding OAI’s vision and its partnerships in the Southland community.
1. Please tell us about OAI’s community-focused approach to workforce development.
Sandra Dafiaghor: OAI’s overarching mission is to provide training that leads to safe, meaningful employment while helping individuals and communities to thrive. So, our customer approach is multi-customer to a certain extent. We're working with individuals that are underserved. Our workforce training model is one that looks at the holistic approach of how we might help the job seeker overcome barriers and therefore become a successful person that contributes to the community. We're also working with employers to make sure that we know about their job openings and their needs and then of course, we are working with the community to make sure that they're thriving together.
Our Park Forest Richton Park Neighborhood Network² features the involvement of NICI, United Way³, the Village of Park Forest and Cook County to deliver clean energy benefits to the Southland community. These partnerships — in further collaboration with groups like Governor’s State University and the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation (CSCDC) — have all come together to launch two significant community-facing initiatives: The NICI Clean Energy Training Site and the South Suburban Health and Wellness Hub.
Through all these projects, OAI is able to provide both workforce training and create the services that holistically address the needs of the community.
2. When did plans for the Clean Energy Demonstration Site begin and what does OAI’s vision for the site look like?
Xiaofan Liu: We received a Clean Energy Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that got us the training budget that’s the groundwork for this site. We realized we not only needed to support training, but needed a clean energy training center for the Southland to show the community the technology and equipment.
Sandra: We envision this clean energy site as a dynamic training hub that will serve as a catalyst for decarbonization efforts in the whole of the Southland. The site will offer hands-on training in clean energy technologies such as solar installation, energy efficiency and electric vehicle infrastructure and it’s going to equip the local workforce with the skills necessary to thrive in the green economy.
In doing all of this, we not only contribute to environmental sustainability, but we will also drive economic opportunity by preparing residents in the Southland community for high-demand, high-wage jobs in the growing clean energy sector. We're expanding phase one programming to develop programs for high school students and we're going to integrate cutting-edge clean energy technology and collaborate with local partners to align with the broader sustainability goals, including some of those that we've previously mentioned.
3. Based on the new site and the types of job training that would take place there, what are your hopes for the future of South Suburban Cook County and its residents?
Xiaofan: The Southland has historically been home to underserved communities that face a combination of economic, environmental and social challenges. The area has been long burdened with industrial pollution, limited access to green spaces, disproportionate exposure to environment hazards and limited access to transportation. Just in general for this initiative, we're trying to address the clean energy transition in the region.
It's not just about economic development, it's an issue of environmental justice. Providing pathways for the residents in these communities to enter a green economy is very critical to both reducing the inequity and preparing for a more sustainable future.
We also know that local employers, particularly those in the manufacturing and energy sector, are experiencing a growing demand for workers trained in the EV technology and clean energy system. We connect with colleges about the need to design more training and discuss how we can bridge the skills gap by providing a more comprehensive training while addressing all the challenges in the Southland.
In Phase Two of the site, we will expand programming to include more in-action programs. We’re going to expand our current training stations to include a live charging station in the parking lot so that when students come for the training, they can have live, hands-on experiences at our training center. We’re also thinking about having our own electric vehicle fleet to better serve high school students and ensure they have access to training opportunities and are able to travel to their internship or work-based learning site.
Sandra: The intersection of workforce development and growth of the economy in this area cannot be over-emphasized. We are seeing workforce development as a crucial part of how this community in the Southland becomes a thriving community. As new employers are getting into the space, we collaboratively work with them to train the talent pipeline they need and make sure that they remain in and hire from the community.
4. How has NICI’s support empowered this vision?
Xiaofan: NICI’s support has been really instrumental in turning our vision into reality, not just the funding part, but it’s important that NICI makes it possible for us to attract additional funders and partners. We connected with NICI’s partner Proactive Community Services during the grantee luncheon and we’ve already visited their office and started to talk about how we can collaborate on next steps for them to bring their healthcare initiative to the Southland Health and Wellness Hub.
Sandra: We want to underscore the fact that NICI coming to the table with their funds was a catalyst for solidifying OAI’s vision for the Southland to have a training site for clean energy. I always say the Southland gets treated like stepchildren by the wicked stepmother. For NICI to be here and to take an interest in the Southland in and of itself is a blessing. By supporting groups like us, it makes other people take a look at us.
The future of OAI, Inc. is bright as it continues to grow and respond to community needs. At the end of October, OAI hosted its first bilingual informational job fair designed for Spanish speakers in the community to meet with employers eager to embrace diverse talent.
As for their signature youth programming, in January, OAI will host a meet-and-greet between high school students and manufacturing professionals to help students learn about career pathways in the industry. Additionally, in April 2025, OAI will host the Southworks Engineering and Robotics Olympics where students compete with robots they’ve created in five competitions. This event will also feature an exciting demonstration of a hydrogen-powered Formula One car.
Finally, OAI is connecting Olive Harvey College students with Rivian, the electric vehicle manufacturer, to provide a pre-apprenticeship program with direct EV charging station training.
¹ mHub — Located in Chicago, mHUB is positioned at the nexus of collaboration for HardTech startups, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, investors and industry leaders. Their Catalyze programs drive equitable access for women and people of color within the HardTech and manufacturing innovation ecosystem.
² Park Forest Richton Park Neighborhood Network — The Park Forest / Richton Park Neighborhood Network was launched in June 2023 in partnership with Cook County through the United Way Transforming Places Program, with support from Nicor Gas Foundation. OAI serves as the “community quarterback” for the Network.
³ The United Way Transforming Places Program — This partnership supports place-based transformation through new and increased investment in suburban Neighborhood Networks