Ellman pushes to expand community college apprenticeship programs

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) passed a measure out of the Illinois Senate that would increase access to community college apprenticeships and develop apprenticeship programs in new, non-traditional sectors.

“Education is economic development,” Ellman said. “When workers have the training they need for good jobs and businesses are able to find qualified talent to fill positions, everyone is better off.”

Fifty-three percent of Illinois jobs require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree, yet only 43 percent of Illinois workers are trained at that level.

“Expanding access to apprenticeship programs and creating apprenticeships in new sectors will help ensure Illinois workers are trained for jobs of the future and ensure businesses aren’t struggling to find qualified employees,” Ellman said. “Funding education and apprenticeship programs is an investment in our future.”

Senate Bill 2122 would create a grant program to allow for the funding of apprenticeships at each of the 48 community colleges, allow for the recruitment of new partnerships across traditional apprenticeship fields and emerging fields and provide community colleges the resources to engage in curriculum development, oversight and evaluation.

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Senator Ellman highlights Colonel Jill Morgenthaler for Women's History Month

Ellman: Budget proposal provides stability to our state, increases investments in education

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) released the following statement in response to Gov. Pritzker’s budget address:

“The plan laid out by the governor today appears to put us on a path toward a responsible budget,” Ellman said. “We need a budget that provides fiscal stability, allows for our state to grow, and gives citizens and businesses confidence in sticking with Illinois. With increased investments in our public schools and our colleges and universities and responsible solutions for paying off our debts, this budget does just that.”

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Ellman statement on Martin Luther King Jr. Day

"Today and every day, it’s important to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s work and the significance of the Civil Rights Movement. We should think about how far America has come since that time, but how far we still have to go.

"During the fight for civil rights, many people told Dr. King and his allies that they were moving too fast, demanding too much. They were told that change would come but that they should be quiet and wait their turn.

"Too often we ignore the message because we dislike the medium. We write off someone’s experiences with racism, discredit their experience, because we disagree with their method of speaking their truth. We must do better. We need to listen when people speak out about racism and injustice. We need to personally reflect on our biases and really think about what's being said. And we need to stand together and demand justice and equality for all."