State Senator Dave Syverson (R, 35th District) and Representative Travis Weaver (R, 93rd District) successfully advanced legislation (SB 2907) this spring to shine a spotlight on the state’s existing workforce-development programs.
Over the years, the state has invested in many workforce and job-training programs, but lacks a central listing of these programs, making it unclear how many programs currently exist or if they are effective at preparing workers for a 21st century economy.
SB 2907 addresses this shortfall by requiring the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to compile a one-time report on all state-funded job-training and workforce-development programs in Illinois.
Over the past few years, small businesses have consistently listed the difficulty of finding qualified employees as one of their top challenges. In NFIB’s April Small Business Economic Trends Survey, forty percent of small-business owners indicated that they had job openings that they were unable to fill. Fifty-one percent reported few or no qualified applicants for job openings.
As Illinois employers struggle to find qualified employees, SB 2907 could increase knowledge of the state’s workforce and job-training programs, ensuring that Illinois’ investments in workforce development pay dividends to Illinois workers and businesses alike.
The legislation passed the Senate 58-00-00 and the House 70-05-01.
