Transitional Students Program
Innovative Components has partnered with D211 and D214 to provide opportunities to special needs young adults through a transitional program that turns students into employees. The program is designed to help students with a wide range of special needs the opportunity to participate in various work related tasks that will aid in the development of necessary work skills. Additionally, the experience provides the students with great confidence as they prepare to enter the working world.
This team of vibrant, eager students helps us in many areas including administrative, reception, light janitorial, marketing, warehouse, production manufacturing, quality, event-meeting set up and tear down, and various projects as assigned. Each school district provides job coaches who help manage, assign, and carry out the daily tasks alongside the students. The experience not only assists with skill building, professional socialization, problem solving, and confidence enhancement, but it also provides the students with real experience they can be proud of as they prepare their first resume.
This partnership is truly rewarding and a win/win for everyone. The Innovative family loves seeing the students every day and has whole heartedly embraced them as a permanent part of our team. They are an important part of what we believe in and part of who we are. We encourage more business owners and businesses to participate and provide opportunities that help make a real meaningful impact for the students and their families.
To learn more about the programs and Innovative’s involvement, please click on one of the links below.
http://d211post.org/d211-post-schaumburg-business-leader-promotes-school-partnership-during-tour/
https://il49000007.schoolwires.net/Page/6943
https://adc.d211.org/Page/7056
Apprenticeship Program
Like many people in manufacturing have been discussing, the skills gap in our industry is eminent. President Mike O’Connor and his team decided they would not let this happen to Innovative and set forth a strategy that would change the way we hire forever. At the drawing board we knew we had to come up with a different approach to finding skilled employees for manufacturing. Mike was determined to grow the company organically from within. Our target was the youth of America. We wanted to be able to develop a team of above average individuals that would eventually be the leaders of the company.
We designed our program to have the feel of a 4 year college. We went out to local high schools with technical programs and presented opportunities for careers in manufacturing alongside the amazing benefits we were offering. Our apprentices will graduate in two years with an associate’s degree in manufacturing and upon graduation, the student is guaranteed a supervisor position with our company, competitive salary, full benefits, 401K and most important – NO STUDENT DEBT! Innovative is going to foot the bill. We have a robust online application process where we select super star candidates with above average intelligence, motivation, and drive. Our candidates would have a strong desire to leapfrog their peers in terms of immediate advancement and on the job experience while obtaining a college education without any of the debt.
Upon high school graduation, we send our apprentices to our Costa Rican facility for a summer “boot camp” to gain an understanding of all our manufacturing processes. Once boot camp is completed, they return home and attend a local community college (Harper College) and will go to school while working for Innovative part time. During the first semester of college, our apprentices will work in every department to learn the entire order to cash process. This is a real world business crash course. Between years 1 and 2, our apprentices will return to Costa Rica for the summer where they will work full time, gaining knowledge and fully experiencing the Costa Rica culture.
This program has helped us grow and manage our manufacturing while meeting the skills gap challenge head on. To learn more about the programs and Innovative’s involvement, please click on one of the links below.
Both of our programs have been recognized locally and nationally for all of our efforts and work done.
Innovative Components Green Initiatives
For more than 25 years, Innovative Components, Inc. has pioneered the creative use of “Green” materials and technologies in its manufacturing processes. Innovative Components of Schaumburg, IL and its sister company Componentes Innovadores in Cartago, Costa Rica comprise one of the largest manufacturers of plastic knobs, handles, quick release pins and latches in the world.
The company has perfected techniques for utilizing recycled plastics with no compromise in mechanical or aesthetic values. Innovative Components uses thermoplastic materials exclusively, unlike other knob manufacturers who make heavy use of thermoset plastics such as phenolic. Scrap from thermoplastic resins may be recovered and reprocessed, whereas thermoset materials generally may only be processed once before being sent to the landfill.
In 2019 the company’s use of recycled content exceeded 65%. Recently, Innovative’s eco-friendly policies allowed it to reach an exclusive agreement with one of the world’s largest recyclers of e-waste (computers, monitors, printers, etc.), thus ensuring access to high-quality recycled resins for the future.