DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski announced her guest for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address will be Andrea Kelly of Decatur.
"It's exciting for me too. Just like Andrea, this is the first time for me as well. I'm just really honored that I'm going to get to share this opportunity with Andrea," said Budzinski.
Kelly is a graduate of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) pre-apprenticeship program currently working as a Construction Wireman.
"I was at my grandpa's plant, and they had some electrical problems going on. They brought some electricians out and they were just fixing the problem. That was pretty cool to me. I was like that is something I want to do," said Kelly.
Biden addressed the joint session of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
“At a time when too many Americans struggle to find good-paying jobs, thousands of well-paid positions lie unfilled due to a persistent job skills gap. We must do more to connect folks with training opportunities that will help them get ahead,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m excited to be joined by Andrea Kelly for my first State of the Union address – a young woman who shows us just how important apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs are to the economic mobility of our communities. I look forward to introducing legislation to support these programs in the coming weeks.”
“Pre-Apprenticeships offer a pathway to good paying union jobs and the middle class for workers,” said Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “Young people, like Andrea Kelly and her peers, across the country are the next generation of skilled workers who will build renewable energy facilities and rebuild our aging infrastructure. I am grateful to Congresswoman Budzinski for the bold steps that she is taking to invest in the future of a skilled and diverse workforce.”
Andrea Kelly is a Construction Wireman with IBEW Local 146 and a 2020 graduate from MacArthur High School in Decatur.
Kelly first applied for IBEW’s apprenticeship program while working at McDonald’s. The union directed her to the pre-Apprenticeship program, funded through DCEO’s Illinois Works and Youth Career Pathways programs that focus on disadvantaged populations, including minorities, women, and veterans.
The pre-apprenticeship prepares participants with the skills necessary to compete for union apprenticeships, utilizing the North America Building Trades Union Multi Craft Core Curriculum and pays for students to gain on the job experience.
Since she was in high school, Kelly's goal was to be an electrician.
Since completing the grant program, Kelly has been hired as a Construction Wireman and applied to be an IBEW apprentice. She will be initiated on February 14 as an IBEW member.
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