Northbrook, Illinois-based Hilco Global announced the launch of the Hilco Global Scholarship Program called “Hilco Scholars,” to be awarded to qualified candidates living in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. The goal of the new scholarship program is to help prepare students in the Little Village community for a professional career in skilled trades like manufacturing, engineering, information technology and construction management, including transportation, distribution and logistics.
The program will award a full scholarship for the period of two years, to two students pursuing a degree in a skilled trade program at one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago. The scholarship award can be used for education-related expenses including tuition, fees, books and equipment.
“For many years Hilco Global has supported programs that promote and encourage educational opportunities for Chicago’s kids,” said Jeffrey Hecktman, CEO and chairman of Hilco Global. “Last summer, in a series of local community meetings with residents and leaders in the neighborhood, we promised to demonstrate our commitment to becoming a standout corporate citizen. The new Hilco Scholars program is just one of many ways we plan to give back to our new neighbors.”
The program has been planned and structured in close collaboration with the City Colleges of Chicago Foundation who will manage the process of seeking candidates. Hilco leaders will play an active role in the final selection of the first two recipients.
“Our plan is to not only provide a full scholarship for two students, but to also create opportunities for the students to gain hands-on experience and apply what they learn through a paid internship program at Hilco, and possible future employment,” said Roberto Perez, CEO of Hilco Redevelopment Partners. “The caliber of the workforce located within Little Village is one of the most attractive features of this project to prospective tenants. This project has already attracted interest from marquee companies who want to locate here because of the labor force.”
In early 2018, Hilco’s real estate redevelopment group, Hilco Redevelopment Partners, purchased the shuttered Crawford Power Generation site in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood and began working on plans to redevelop the property into a state-of-the-art facility for last-mile logistics and retail warehousing. The new complex, now called Exchange 55, is expected to boost the local economy and bring new skilled jobs to the neighborhood.
“As a company beginning a substantial real estate project within the Little Village community, we wanted to go beyond investing in the cleanup and redevelopment of this industrial site by making an investment in the most important asset of all—the young residents in the Little Village neighborhood,” said Hecktman.
