ILLINOIS

The Edgar Administration and the leading Illinois education and training agencies are embarking on an ambitious agenda for creating a high-quality, world-class workforce in the state of Illinois.

In 1992 Governor Edgar announced the establishment of a state Workforce Preparation Initiative. Under the leadership of the Governor's Office, a 17-member blue-ribbon task force including both business and labor leaders as well as the top education officials in Illinois was impaneled to develop a framework for comprehensive reform of the state's education and training systems.

In his 1993 State of the State message, Governor Edgar called for creation of pilot youth apprenticeship programs that test the applicability of the successful German system to Illinois.

The Illinois Workforce Initiative: Governor Edgar's Workforce Preparation and Development Initiative recognizing the need to improve training of both current and future workers of Illinois, addresses three broad areas: "second chance" system reform, school-to-work/career transition for youth, and workforce upgrading and retraining. The three goals are:

1. Assure access to employability development services for all Illinois adults with basic skills development needs, while continuing to consolidate the maze of existing programs.
2. Improve state educational services for the transition from school to work, and build mainstream programs of excellence in basic and technical skills training through public-private partnerships.
3. Create a comprehensive workforce development program for a changing Illinois economy by working with networks of employers, intermediary associations, and individual firms to provide training resources needed to improve the competitive skills of currently employed Illinois workers.

Joint Policy Directions for Workforce Preparation: In 1992, Illinois' state agencies responsible for workforce preparation developed joint policy directions for workforce preparation. The Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs agreed on common policy directions to develop an articulated system of education and workforce preparation that creates education, training, and employment opportunities for Illinois citizens. The policy directions include expanding partnerships and joint ventures with business, investing in human capital development, establishing performance standards, and providing work-based learning experiences.

Other Illinois workforce development innovations in recent years include:

Doorways to Jobs: This is a comprehensive inventory of Illinois' Job Training and Employment programs, compiled by the Job Training Coordinating Council.

Besides these broad initiatives, new alliances across state departments have been formed to develop and promote work-based learning and youth apprenticeship, as described below. Also described are improvements in the Industrial Training Program and other adult retraining initiatives.

Key Players in State Policy Development Landscape

• Illinois State Board of Education
• Illinois Community College Board
• Illinois Board of Higher Education
• Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs
• Illinois Department of Employment Security
• Illinois Department of Public Aid
• Illinois Job Training Coordinating Council
• Illinois Occupational Information Coordinating Committee
• Illinois Council on Vocational Education

SCHOOL-TO-WORK INITIATIVES

School-Business Partnership Programs

Initiated by Governor Edgar, a state-level, multi-sector school-business partnership board held its first state conference in January 1992. Highlighted at this conference were exemplary Illinois school-business partnership programs already at work.

Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program: In 1991, Governor Jim Edgar signed into law the Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program Act that authorizes the Board of Higher Education to award grants to public and non-public institutions of higher education to increase public-private sector partnerships, expand opportunities for college and university students to have work experience related to their academic program, reduce reliance on loans, and encourage students to seek permanent employment in Illinois. In its second year, fiscal year 1993, the appropriation is $1,100,000.

General School-to-Work and Career Pathway Programs

Chicago Career Preparation Initiative: This initiative, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the City Colleges of Chicago, and the Partnership for a Productive Chicago, includes school-to-work programs in metalworking and financial services. These programs will enable students to achieve competencies identified by these industries. This effort is part of a larger agenda of the City Colleges to establish a niche in the school-to-work transition. This is achieved by coordinating career pathways with high schools, developing work-based learning components to their programs, and connecting course and program outcomes to local business and industry needs.

Study Tour to Europe: Several study tours to Europe sponsored by CDS International, and Northern Illinois University have been taken by Illinois state leaders in employment and training, and by private sector representatives. Participating organizations included the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the Illinois Manufacturing Association, the Illinois AFL-CIO, and the Illinois General Assembly.

Career and Technical Education

Education for Employment: Illinois has organized "Education for Employment" to improve the quality, efficiency, and accessibility of vocational-technical education programs and program delivery. Sixty-one regional delivery systems administer secondary vocational-technical education and coordinate high school, area vocational school, and community college programs. These networks or "systems" are organized according to community college, county, or multi-county district boundaries. Initiatives within the career and vocational-technical education system include:

• A recent firm survey which supported the need for more work-based learning initiatives within vocational education. Based on this survey, goals have been set to increase the percentage of students engaged in some form of work-based learning (co-op, apprenticeship, internship) from the current 18 percent to 30 percent by 1994.
• Using a variety of resources to develop or identify existing performance standards and assessment for all vocational and technical education programs.

Through V-TECS (the Vocational Technical Consortium of States), Illinois has developed a nationally validated Workplace Skills list for use in all programs. Over fifty performance and 500 multiple choice workplace skills assessment items are currently being pilot-tested by Illinois and 15 other V-TECS states.

• Implementing Tech Prep programs in every community college district and secondary regional delivery system.
• Occupational skills standards and voluntary credentialing system development is in the planning stages. Legislation, passed in the fall of 1992, calls for the development of occupational skills standards, the verification of nationally developed standards, and development of a voluntary student credentialing system by a nine-member standards council. Comprised of business, industry, and labor representatives, the Council will advise the Illinois State Board of Education on meeting the legislation's requirements. Education for Employment Systems and community colleges will use the standards council's work to determine and communicate student mastery of occupational competencies.

Tech-Prep

Tech-Prep in Illinois is a planned series of courses, both academic and technical, which begins in the 9th grade and then is articulated with post-secondary experience leading to an associate degree. Tech-Prep must have a work-site learning component, and must be organized around industry-defined performance standards. Consortia are currently being developed. All of Illinois' 40 community college districts statewide are involved in the tech-prep development.

• In addition to the federal vocational education funds earmarked for Tech-Prep, Illinois has made $3 million state dollars available to expand Tech-Prep efforts during FY '93.
• Consortia projects range from programs for special population students to those for occupations in health, business, home economics, agriculture, and industrial occupations.

Youth Apprenticeship

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs (DCCA) have partnered to promote and design work-based learning/youth apprenticeship programs in Illinois. Several initiatives have resulted:

Council of Chief State School Officers: The Council has funded three youth apprenticeship pilot sites in manufacturing (Rockford and Quincy) and food processing (Alton). These programs are building on the second year of tech-prep programs in these areas.

• The State Board is targeting 3-4 high schools in inner city Chicago, suburban Chicago and Lake County, to develop work-based learning/youth apprenticeship programs. Target industry areas include metalworking, printing and food management. The Board, in partnership with other agencies, is also tracking and encouraging local youth apprenticeship programs developed in a number of Illinois communities and schools.
• State Department of Education and the State Bureau of Apprenticeship have formally joined together to promote the youth apprenticeship concept, through a state funded "how-to" process (video, brochure, etc.).
• Eight percent of state JTPA funds are being used to support two model apprenticeship training programs: Midwest Women's Center and Cook County's program to provide non-traditional pre-apprenticeships in the building trades for women, and a Chicago Metal Works apprenticeship project at Senn Metropolitan Academy.
• The State Board of Education in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Illinois Manufacturer's Association, the Tooling and Machining Association, Illinois Restaurant Association and others, have applied to the U.S. Department of Labor for funding to conduct model Youth Apprenticeship activities during FY '93 and FY '94.

STATE ADULT TRAINING INNOVATIONS

Public Sector

In addition to the traditional structures and programs-- adult basic and post-secondary vocational education, JTPA and its various titles, welfare-to-work (JOBS), and community college and university customized training efforts--Illinois maintains the following specialized adult retraining programs:

Illinois Labor-Management Program: The state is awarding matching grants to promote and establish labor-management committees in the state, community, and worksite.

Illinois Industrial Training Program: ITP assists Illinois employers with the training, retraining and/or skills upgrading of existing or new employees. Historically, ITP grants have been awarded to individual employers. However, as a result of recent legislative changes, ITP funds are increasingly targeted to projects which address the common employee training needs of multiple employers. These multi-employer training projects may be sponsored by manufacturing associations, community colleges, strategic manufacturing partnerships, consultants, and grant recipients or administrative entities under the Job Training Partnership Act. In addition, an original equipment manufacturer may apply for ITP funds for the purpose of providing training to its Illinois-based suppliers. ITP can reimburse up to 50 percent of the total costs of a training project. In fiscal year 1993, $10.75 million has been appropriated to ITP.

Prairie State 2000: Training Assistance Program: This program finances existing worker retraining and basic skills enhancement. There are two parts to the program: Employer Training Assistance ($6 million over past five years) and Individual Training Assistance ($4 million over past five years). ETAP serves small- and medium-sized "at-risk" firms; firms may choose from among a variety of training providers.

Illinois Community Colleges: Illinois Community Colleges provide customized training programs delivered through business and industry centers at each community college. The centers are funded by a $3.5 million state appropriation. They offer a "comprehensive market-driven range of services based on local needs".

Educational Guarantees: The Illinois Community College Board has adopted a "Plan for the Implementation of Educational Guarantees" which establishes a two-year development and pilot-testing phase followed by a one-year implementation phase to initiate implementation of educational guarantees statewide. Following adoption of the plan in March 1992, 35 out of 40 community college districts signed up for the pilot-testing phase; additional participants are expected. As of May 1993, 17 community colleges have adopted guarantees for all baccalaureate/transfer and/or occupational programs.

Opportunities Program: The Illinois Community College Board developed a statewide plan that will utilize the community college system as the lead service providers and points of entry for AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) recipients seeking education and training. Each college will provide testing and assessment, a written education and employability plan, counseling, referral to appropriate programs and services, and continued assistance toward an individual's career goal. Ten colleges have been designated as pilot sites to begin implementation of the Opportunities Program and serve approximately 4,600 individuals in fiscal year 1993, and to serve as models for other colleges that take part in the program. Ten community college pilot sites are now in operation.

Centers for Excellence in Adult Education: The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has established 7 Centers for Excellence in Adult Education, 3 of which are funded at approximately $100,000 each in fiscal year 1993, to serve as model programs in the delivery of adult education. The Centers will demonstrate delivery of a comprehensive instructional program and support services through coordination of various sources of adult education funding and other college and community services. The Centers, as replicable models, will help the community college system forge new ground in adult education operations regarding computer-assisted instruction, accountability, faculty, teaching/learning methods, and coordination with other college and community services.

Center for Emerging Technology: The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) will establish Centers for Emerging Technology at selected community colleges and universities to be models for curricular standards, faculty qualifications, and facility and equipment requirements necessary to educate and train in areas of new technology. The centers will be designed by a committee of individuals from business, labor, and education which will recommend to the ICCB and the IBHE where the centers should be located and what arrangements should be established to ensure cost-effective operations.

Initiatives in advanced manufacturing technology and economic development are supported by grants to finance consortia of Illinois community colleges and universities to assist industries, particularly small- and medium-sized companies. In fiscal year 1993, five manufacturing consortia and the Institute for Competitive Manufacturing based at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were funded.

Secretary of State s Workplace Literacy Grant Program: The Secretary of State of State Literacy Office, under the leadership of Secretary of State George H. Ryan, utilizes state general revenue funds to award matching grants up to $10,000 to Illinois businesses to work in partnership with adult educational providers to upgrade employees' job-related basic skills. All training takes place on-site at the business. Grants are awarded annually with a two-year maximum for funding. Fifty-Eight businesses throughout the state were funded in fiscal year 1993.

Private Sector

Chicago Manufacturing Technology Consortium: A pilot program for technology transfer in the metalworking industry was created by the Consortium. Recognizing the importance of metalworking as Chicago's third largest manufacturing employer, the Chicago Economic Development Commission, the Chicago Department of Economic Development, the Illinois Institute of Technology Research, and the City Colleges of Chicago have joined metalworking firms to form the Consortium.

Illinois Manufacturing Association: The manufacturers of this leading trade group are active in discussions with state education and training leaders about development of pioneering work-based learning programs.

National Tooling and Machining Association: NTMA is actively developing work-based learning, new certification, and existing worker retraining initiatives in Illinois.

Midwest Industrial Management Association/Management Association of Illinois: As a 50 year old association with 2,000 members in manufacturing and service industries, the Association has developed an ETAP program to assist members retrain for quality and productivity improvements. Many members are suppliers who have undertaken courses in total quality management (TQM).

J. Adams Metalworking Consortia: This consortia works as a manufacturing network developing joint marketing, purchasing, equipment, technology and training strategies.