Report: More Than One Million 'Middle-Skill' Jobs Expected in Illinois by
2016; But State May Lack Trained Workers to Fill Them
State Budget Crunch Limits Illinois' Response to Future Demand for
JobsRequiring More than High School Diploma, Less than College Degree
Federal Recovery Dollars to Create Jobs in Middle-Skill Industries; Report
Calls for Restored Investments to Train and Prepare Illinois Workers
CHICAGO, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Already reeling from its worst
unemployment rate in a generation, Illinois is also leaving its workers
ill-prepared to benefit from the biggest wave of job openings projected for
the state over the next seven years, a new report released today has found.
More than one million "middle-skill" job openings -- those that require more
than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year degree -- are projected
for the state by 2016, representing the largest portion of jobs in the state's
skilled labor market, according to a new study released today by The Workforce
Alliance (TWA) and the Skills2Compete-Illinois campaign, an affiliate of the
national Skills2Compete campaign. But drastic cuts in state-funded employment
training programs threaten to impair efforts to fill future middle-skill jobs.
While the recession is stifling current employment growth, the report projects
that middle-skill jobs (including new jobs and replacement) would account for
45 percent of all openings between 2006 and 2016. Low- and high- skill jobs
will account for 23 percent and 31 percent respectively.
Illinois' budget crisis continues to severely limit the state's opportunity to
keep up with demand for middle-skill workers. Adult education funds have
already been reduced by nearly 20 percent and significant outside pressure was
needed to ensure sufficient funding for the need-based financial aid.
Meanwhile, the report states that without any new revenue for the state
budget, two key state-funded workforce training programs will be cut in half.
The lack of state investments in postsecondary education and workforce
training also stifles federal recovery efforts, as federal recovery funds are
expected to create millions of new jobs -- especially in industries dominated
by middle-skill occupations, like environment/energy, construction,
manufacturing, and transportation.
"If Illinois seeks real economic recovery and long-term prosperity, we must
ensure our workforce has the necessary education and training to meet the
labor demands of the future," said Jenny Wittner of Women Employed, lead
partner in the Skills2Compete Illinois campaign. Carrie Thomas of Chicago Jobs
Council, another lead partner, adds, "If Illinois is receiving billions of
recovery dollars to create middle-skill jobs in our state, it would be a waste
of resources to not invest in preparing workers for these new opportunities."
The report also finds that 65 percent of the people who will be in Illinois'
workforce in the year 2020 were already working adults in 2005 -- long past
the traditional high school to college pipeline. The Skills2Compete campaign
says this finding underscores the crucial importance of investments in
training and re-training the current adult workforce to close the skill gap.
And while the nation's overall K-12 education system also needs significant
repair, that alone won't solve this problem.
Echoing a vision put forward by the national Skills2Compete campaign,
President Obama first challenged every American to commit to at least one year
of postsecondary education or training in February 2009, and has continued to
signal that investing in a range of skills for America's workforce -- "be it
at a technical college or a four-year school; vocational training or an
apprenticeship" -- will be a priority for his Administration.
Illinois lawmakers have taken a first step in addressing the President's
challenge by adopting a version of the Skills2Compete-Illinois vision. This
June the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Resolution 50, stating
that Illinois make it a priority that up to two years of post-secondary
education or training is available to all citizens in this State. This echoes
the Skills2Compete-Illinois vision which states that every Illinois worker
should have access to the equivalent of at least two years of education or
training past high school -- leading to a vocational credential, industry
certification, or one's first two years of college -- to be pursued at
whatever point and pace makes sense for individual workers and industries.
"Illinois must not ignore this federal call to action. We must provide our
state residents the opportunity to obtain some form of postsecondary education
or job training," says Assistant Majority Leader David Miller (D-Dolton), who
introduced the measure in February. "After this economic downtime jobs will
return -- middle-skill jobs at that -- and Illinois' future depends on our
readiness to meet this upcoming demand."
Lawmakers also passed the 21st Century Workforce Development Fund Act (House
Bill 852) which created a state-level structure for raising and coordinating
new resources for workforce development. They must now turn to the challenging
task of creating new funds for the priorities outlined in the Act -- skills
training for occupations that experience shortages and for industries that are
expected to grow, including those in the emerging "green" sectors.
"Illinois legislators understand education is important, evident by their
commitment in the resolution,"
notes Andrea Ray of TWA, the convening organization for the national
Skills2Compete campaign. "But we need lawmakers to move beyond awareness of
this issue and towards action -- restoring investments in programs to train
and educate workers."
The report is funded by The Joyce Fund, The Ford Foundation and The Woods Fund
of Chicago.
"Citizens in the Midwest, and Illinois in particular, need guaranteed access
to education to prepare for middle-skill jobs that will support their
families," said Ellen Alberding, Joyce Foundation president. "Illinois'
Shifting Gears project will help people learn the right skills for the right
jobs and participate in the state's economic recovery."
Members of the Skills2Compete-Illinois campaign will meet in Washington, DC in
November with congressional leaders to review the study's findings and
encourage further federal efforts to ensure all workers can get the skills
they need to play a role in economic recovery. The campaign will continue to
brief state policymakers on the report's findings and begin to explore ways to
close Illinois' middle-skills gap.
Skills2Compete is a non-partisan campaign to ensure the U.S. workforce has the
skills needed to meet business demand, foster innovation, and grow broadly
shared prosperity. The campaign's diverse and growing list of endorsers
include national and local leaders from business, labor, education and
training, community and civil rights groups, and the public sector. The
Skills2Compete Vision: Every U.S. worker should have access to the equivalent
of at least two years of education or training past high school -- leading to
a vocational credential, industry certification, or one's first two years of
college -- to be pursued at whatever point and pace makes sense for individual
workers and industries. Every person must also have the opportunity to obtain
the basic skills needed to pursue such education. For more information visit
www.Skills2Compete.org and www.Skills2Compete.org/Illinois.
TWA's mission is to advocate for public policies that invest in the skills of
America's workers, so they can better support their families and help American
businesses better compete in today's economy. The Workforce Alliance is a
national coalition of community-based training organizations, community
colleges, unions, business leaders, local officials, and leading technical
assistance and research organizations. This alliance of stakeholders, who have
not previously come together, ensures that our efforts are not in the self
interest of a particular group, but are instead in the broader public interest
of the nation. For more information, visit www.workforcealliance.org.
SOURCE Skills2Compete-Illinois
Ambar Mentor, office: +1-312-408-2580 ext. 25, cell: +1-773-343-1481,
amentor@valeriedenney.com, for Skills2Compete-Illinois
