Illinois Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Boost Women and Minorities in Construction, Study Finds

Programs to prepare workers for skilled trades apprenticeships have significantly boosted the number of women and people of color in Illinois’ construction workforce and also yield a big return on investment, according to a report released Wednesday.

In Illinois, enrollment in pre-apprenticeship training programs since 2017 has led to a 95% and 202% jump in the number of Black and female apprentices, respectively, according to research by the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Project for Middle Class Renewal.

That’s significant as the state’s construction industry struggles to fill jobs and gears up for more expansion under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, which sets a goal to fuel Illinois entirely by clean energy by 2050.