SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner secured nearly $1 million to help build pathways to good-paying jobs in the construction and building trades in Central Illinois.

“Investing in the trades gives students a path to secure stable, good-paying careers in a high-demand industry,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Here in Springfield, District 186 has worked with SkillsUSA to create a construction trades education hub at Lanphier for students across the district to get hands-on learning in the industry.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $19 million in grant funding through the Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program to 38 organizations across the state. The purpose of the funding is to create more pathways for kids to access pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeships, which provide greater opportunities to secure lifelong careers in the construction trades.

In Turner’s district, Menard-Sangamon Regional Office of Education #51 will see a total of $440,000 and Illinois Foundation of SkillsUSA in Sangamon and Christian Counties will receive $550,000 to support pre-apprenticeship students.

“Governor Pritzker’s and Sen. Turner’s investment in the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program is a transformative step toward equipping our youth with the skills and opportunities necessary for thriving careers in the trades,” said SkillsUSA Illinois Executive Director Eric Hill. “This program is changing lives for the better, and we thank and salute Sen. Turner for her tireless efforts to lift up communities, families and young people in Springfield through the program.”

To see a full list of organizations receiving grant funding across the state, click here.