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Abundant Workforce
Illinois workers are special: they combine a Midwestern work ethic with high levels of education and technology innovation. The State is doing its part by investing in our people as we transition to a clean energy economy.
- Largest and most productive workforce in the Midwest – generating $81 in economic output per worker per hour worked
- Top 10 in the country for productivity
- More than one million workers with skills for automotive industry jobs, a concentration 14% above the national average
- Number of EV workers is projected to increase by 83% by 2024
- Leads region in clean energy jobs according to Clean Jobs Midwest
- Home to 254 higher educational institutions including some of the nation’s top engineering and IT/computer science schools
Part of Illinois’ strategy is to ensure that growing EV ecosystems throughout the state have the necessary workforce to thrive. The state invested $15 million in Manufacturing Training Academies at Heartland Community College’s Electric Vehicle Energy Storage program and Southwestern Illinois College’s Advanced Manufacturing Center.
Heartland Community College’s manufacturing training facility, for example, will be a part of its partnership with Rivian to supply a workforce to build electric vehicles, including production training, robotics and electronics.
The State has invested more than $20M in a new Climatic Center for Innovation and Research facility in Decatur, Illinois, which will allow for performance testing and simulations, all of which will be available to businesses in the electric vehicle industry. In partnership with Richland Community College, the training academy will offer a new workforce training and development program with a focus on EV advanced engineering, software technology, a STEM pathways program, and an accredited electrification apprenticeship.
In addition, through the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the State is investing $180 million annually in workforce development and community support in the clean energy sector.