Prospects for IT workers in Illinois

Prospects for IT workers in Illinois

Last week, the Illinois Central CollegeEureka College, and Bradley University held a summit of stakeholders to solicit feedback, inputs, and employer commitment to developing a joint grant application for the Good Jobs Challenge.

This grant hopes to address a challenge in our current workforce, specifically in the IT jobs market.

Our region continues to struggle to fill information technology (IT) workforce needs, which have been exacerbated by COVID. Currently, less than 40% of adults have a post-secondary credential in the Peoria region, despite the fact that 60% of regional jobs require credentials beyond high school.  One critical area of need is IT—our community cannot stabilize or grow without a highly skilled IT workforce. The US Economic Development Administration has released its “Good Jobs Challenge Grant” to provide communities an opportunity to apply for federal funds to address workforce shortages. The Good Job Challenge utilizes federal funding provided to EDA from the American Rescue Plan Act and can provide up to $25 million in funding over 5 years to communities seeking to address workforce challenges. Funds can be used for program design, workforce training and wraparound services for vulnerable populations.

The grant proposal by Illinois Central College, Bradley University, and Eureka College aims to accelerate the development of the IT workforce and build a sustainable educational infrastructure.

Central Illinois business and industry cannot stabilize or grow without a highly skilled IT workforce. High-demand IT credentials will not only benefit companies and improve regional economic vitality, but it would also enable individuals to change the trajectory of their lives. Earning a credential with labor market value has been the only effective method for freeing families from generational poverty. The Hired! IT Workforce Accelerator will systemically build a quick response educational infrastructure and provide all these outcomes.

The Accelerator will have three pathways; Uncredentialed IT Pathway, Credentialed Career Changer Pathway, and Incumbent IT Workforce Upskilling Pathway.

The Uncredentialed IT Pathway will dual credit, recent high school grads, with wrap-around equity support for people of poverty and color. Incumbent entry-level workers would be retrained to higher-level credentials and backfilled by entry-level program completers. Programming provided by ICC. Possible programming: A+, Net+, Google certifications, Programming languages, software security tech, industry-specific IT technologies.

The Credentialed Career Changer Pathway will serve current 4 year + degree holders who wish to transfer to an IT field. Programming provided by Bradley University and Eureka College, Possible programming: Software design, programming languages, data analytics, cyber security, and industry-specific IT technologies.

Incumbent IT Workforce Upskilling Pathway will serve incumbent entry-level IT employees with wrap-around equity support for people of poverty and color. Incumbent entry-level workers would be retrained to higher-level credentials and backfilled by entry-level program completers. Programming provided by ICC. Possible programming: A+, Net+, Google certifications, Programming languages, software security tech, industry-specific IT technologies.

The summit was to gauge the interest of employers in the region and potential willingness to support the grant proposal with pledges of job orders. The awarding of the grant is dependent on companies in the region committing to job orders and determining their workforce needs for the next five years.

There was a lot of great feedback from the stakeholders present as they shared their support and made relevant recommendations for the proposal and the training programs.

 

Source: greaterpeoriaedc.org

Guest Writer

Related Posts
Chicago Fire FC II Earns MLS NEXT Pro Honors Again
Chicago Fire FC II has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 16,
Chicago Lawn Sees $5.1M Street Reconstruction Begin
A major infrastructure improvement has begun in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, where the Chicago Department
Zinckernagel Earns Spot in MLS Team of the Matchday
Chicago Fire FC winger Philip Zinckernagel has been named to the MLS Team of the
Critics Link 5,200 Job Losses to Chicago Wage Law
More than 5,200 jobs have been lost and over 100 restaurants have closed in Chicago
Enrollment in Illinois community colleges decline this year but associate degree enrollments rise
The enrollments in the Illinois community colleges have been declining for the last nine years.
Blue Jays Win 10th Straight in Rain-Shortened Game
The Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to 10 games Tuesday night with a
Angel Reese Named to 2025 WNBA All-Star Game
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese heads back to the WNBA All-Star Game in 2025, securing her
Chicago Cuts Divvy Membership Costs, Expands Access
Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Lyft have announced a set
Chicago Shooting Leaves 4 Dead, 18 Wounded at Event
What began as a lively evening in a bustling Chicago neighborhood known for its restaurants
Chicago Sky Partners With Moonshot to Tackle Online Abuse
The Chicago Sky has entered a groundbreaking partnership with Moonshot, a company specializing in countering
Chicago Fire FC II Earns MLS NEXT Pro Honors Again
Chicago Fire FC II has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Team of Matchweek 16,
Chicago Lawn Sees $5.1M Street Reconstruction Begin
A major infrastructure improvement has begun in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, where the Chicago Department
Zinckernagel Earns Spot in MLS Team of the Matchday
Chicago Fire FC winger Philip Zinckernagel has been named to the MLS Team of the
Critics Link 5,200 Job Losses to Chicago Wage Law
More than 5,200 jobs have been lost and over 100 restaurants have closed in Chicago
Enrollment in Illinois community colleges decline this year but associate degree enrollments rise
The enrollments in the Illinois community colleges have been declining for the last nine years.
Blue Jays Win 10th Straight in Rain-Shortened Game
The Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to 10 games Tuesday night with a
Angel Reese Named to 2025 WNBA All-Star Game
Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese heads back to the WNBA All-Star Game in 2025, securing her
Chicago Cuts Divvy Membership Costs, Expands Access
Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Lyft have announced a set