A Better Place - Geoffrey McKnight

CCIL Landscape Trainee Geoffrey McKnight will be featured on the CHA show "A Better Place" throughout the month of September. "A Better Place" is affiliated with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and can be viewed on Chicago municipal channels 23 and 49. Air times are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Suburban viewers have access to view this program as well. Check your local cable programming schedules for details.

About CCIL's Landscape Training Program...

CCIL, in conjunction with the City of Chicago and ARAMARK, created a Landscape Services program more than 16 years ago. Based in the Center for Workforce Development, this program generated earned revenue in excess of $4,000,000 in 2008. These funds are essential to the agency’s financial stability, and more importantly, ensures that more than 1,000 formerly homeless men and women are employed and have gained work skills and are able to find employment in landscaping and related industries.

All participants attend a series of rigorous classes designed to result in job ready applicants. Job interviews are conducted by the operations team, and throughout their participation in this job training program, participants are assigned an on site job coach and are offered case management services. Financial literacy classes are mandatory and the landscape program has a match component for participants who manage to save part of their salary throughout the growing season. Through this on-the-job training program participants are placed in a paid work environment and are trained to do landscaping and grounds maintenance. For two consecutive seasons of eight months each, trainees are provided with technical skills and experience in grounds care, equipment use and safety standards. Trainees beautify Chicago by planting more than 160,000 tulip bulbs in medians and boulevards during the spring season every year, and maintain Chicago’s boulevards, planter boxes and medians throughout the central business district.

CCIL’s landscaping services have become an integral part of the beautification of the city, providing maintenance services to a large portion of the downtown-area medians, sidewalk planters, malls and plazas, and numerous green spaces throughout Chicago. High profile service areas include:Michigan Avenue, Wacker Drive, LaSalle Street, State Street, Dearborn Street , Congress Expressway and City Hall’s Rooftop Garden. Landscaping clients include the Chicago Department of Transportation, Chicago Park District, Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Department of General Services, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Gateway Green, Interstate Realty, Mayslake Village and commercial customers throughout metropolitan Chicago. CCIL aggressively seeks new business and bids competitively in all possible areas, with a goal of exceeding last year’s revenues.

CCIL assists in Mayor Daley’s beautification efforts for the landscape of Chicago while the job trainees are improving the landscape of their lives. “Changing landscapes, changing lives is tremendously rewarding work,” says Eric Hage, landscape general manager.