An Illinois business partnership is getting several million dollars to help create hundreds of apprenticeships in the state.
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the Illinois Advanced Apprenticeship Consortium $3.9 million to fund the creation of 600 apprenticeships over the next five years. The apprentices will attend college through an employer sponsorship and be paid for their work during their time in the program.
The coalition says, working with employers across the state, it will use the cash to further emerging efforts modeled on European apprenticeship programs. The aim is to fill the gap between employers’ needs and the skill-set of available workers.
Two public-private pilot programs are currently up and running: One, at Harper College in Palatine, focuses on creating high-skill manufacturing technicians. The other, at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, on training secure software developers.
