Eric Hill, Executive Director of SkillsUSA Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerrel, Vice President of the AED Foundation, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss a registered apprenticeship program for high school students to create more well-trained heavy machinery operators and the federal funding the program received from the U.S. Department of Labor.
SkillsUSA is a nationwide student organization with over 450,000 participants from middle and high schools each year. The organization has been around for more than 60 years, helping connect students and schools with the training, preparation and opportunities to succeed in the workplace. SkillsUSA Illinois is building on this legacy with a significant ramp-up of its programming, using millions of dollars in new state and federal funds to bring its proven pathways to help more students in Illinois and across the U.S. find good-paying careers without a four-year college degree. Hill talked about his own experience with SkillsUSA as a high school student and during his 10 years as SkillsUSA Illinois executive director.
Fitzgerrel serves as a board member representing SkillsUSA Illinois partner the AED Foundation. The AED Foundation provides educational opportunities for today’s employees by improving the availability and quality of equipment. Fitzgerrel talked about their work with SkillsUSA Illinois, the two organizations and the Department of Labor created a registered apprenticeship program. The program partners with unions and employers across Illinois to provide well-trained professionals into the workforce or union apprenticeship programs.
SkillsUSA Illinois received an $8 million Apprenticeship Builds America Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The grant was awarded in partnership with the AED Foundation and the Youth Workforce Development Foundation in Illinois. The federal funding will support youth-focused apprenticeships in heavy equipment maintenance and operations. Fitzgerrel talked about the union partnership with the International Union of Operation Engineers Local 150 in Northwest Illinois, which will help train the students in the use of heavy equipment. Hill said the union partnerships are a big part of ensuring the students see this program as a viable career option.
For more from SkillsUSA Illinois, please listen to the episode above.
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