Illinois spends 17 times more on college than apprenticeships, even though apprenticeships can lead to good-paying jobs in trades and manufacturing. Illinois spends $2.6 billion on colleges and universities, but only $148.7 million on apprenticeships and workforce training, notes the Illinois Policy Institute. Over the years, it has spent billions of dollars on awful schools that graduate few of their students, like Chicago State University, which had an 11% graduation rate in 2016. As one education expert noted, “Our colleges and universities are full to the brim with students who do not really belong there, who are unprepared for college and uninterested in breaking a mental sweat.”
Yet, Illinois does little to encourage apprenticeships that lead to well-paying jobs:
Illinois faces a massive skills gap with over 324,000 job openings and over 283,000 Illinoisans looking for work as of November 2024. Workers lack the skills companies need. That’s a key driver of Illinois’ steep unemployment rate – one of the highest in the nation.
Why is this happening? A primary reason is Illinois’ education system mistakenly pushes college degrees as the best path to success. They aren’t. Pushing this harmful narrative creates a host of other problems. Statewide, fewer than half of students who enroll in college graduate, while student debt continues to soar – approaching $2 trillion nationwide.
Illinois can become a true leader by going beyond degrees and establishing a career-first education system. Such a system emphasizes empowering students with practical skills to maximize their chances of building lasting careers. For some students, this means earning a college degree. For many others, it means emphasizing skills-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships or other workforce development training.
The economic and social benefits of apprenticeships are abundant. Apprenticeships are paid work training programs in which participants take on zero debt. Apprenticeship completers earn an average national starting salary of $80,000, surpassing the average $55,000 for workers who do not pursue or complete one. The hiring rate for people who complete vocational training, such as apprenticeships, is 44% higher than people with a bachelor’s degree and 46% higher than people with a graduate degree. Career satisfaction is high, too, with nearly 90% of surveyed tradespeople reporting they are very or somewhat satisfied….Illinois should:
- Expand apprenticeships, especially youth-focused and non-registered programs.
- Reform occupational licensing laws to allow apprenticeship as an alternative to formal education.
- Raise public awareness of apprenticeship benefits and opportunities.
- Shift funding from universities to support additional apprenticeship programming.
An Illinois commission recommended paying bonuses to colleges for enrolling students with low GPAs, black and Hispanic students.
The Legal Insurrection Foundation has challenged racially-discriminatory scholarships at the University of Illinois.
