Manufacturing and education leaders brainstorm career options for young adults

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski hosted her first workforce development summit to brainstorm new approaches to developing a robust workforce.

Industry leaders shared that since the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been hard to find employees that are qualified for their jobs. But educators say it's hard for students who don't want to pursue a 4-year degree to find a viable career. Budzinski is hoping to connect the two groups so young adults can enter the trades.

"The first thing I've heard from employers throughout the district is we have a labor shortage," said Budzinski. "We don't have enough folks taking the jobs that we're offering. These are good paying jobs in Central and southern Illinois, and what really struck me in particular were that a lot of them don't require four year degrees."

Already, community colleges and local organizations have programs for cosmetology, nursing, manufacturing, construction, and other types of career and technical education (CTE). But industries say more students need to know that this is an option.

"If we can get students involved in these CTE programs, we are the top of the funnel when it comes to workforce development," said Joe McGinnis, Director of the Collinsville Area Vocational Center. "So the more students that we can expose to CTE courses, vocations and the trades, the more students that are in that funnel, which will eventually trickle down and into their specific areas and workplaces. So it's extremely important work."

The Housing Authority of Champaign said they've seen success in connecting to students to the construction industry. Because students learn skills they can immediately take home and use, it's helped encourage them to stay in high school.

"They first get in the high school diploma, get those basic math, reading, writing, comprehension skills, so that when they go to the unions and they're trying to take the test and try to pass these things they're able to do that," said Lily Walton, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Champaign. "And then second, we're building on the skills that they have with our training program, so our basic carpentry and things like that, just to try to get them to understand the concept so they are ready to go into a union apprenticeship program when that time comes. "

Organizations at the event said a recent uptick in funding for their programs has been helpful, but they still need more funding to help students have more access to the programs.