Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado today at Wright College announced that funding from the passage of Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s legislation, The Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act, known as The Perkins Act, will support the continued modernization of CTE programs in Chicago. The Perkins Act is the main source of federal funding for high school and postsecondary CTE programs in Illinois.

“City Colleges is preparing its students with the critical skills necessary to compete and win in the 21st century, and that is only possible with legislation like The Perkins Act,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Thanks in large part to Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s leadership, we can continue providing our students with the resources and guidance they need to succeed.”

The bipartisan legislation was authored by Congressman Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA) to modernize career, technical and vocational education. The Perkins Act, which has been reauthorized for the first time since 2006, will put more than 13 million students on the path towards a family-sustaining job and career in the middle class. Funding for CTE will increase to $1.3 billion nationwide, and up to $47 million in Illinois by 2024, a statewide increase of over $17 million in the next 6 years.

“Today we witnessed firsthand the tremendous value of Perkins CTE funding, and how it equips Chicagoans with the skills and on-the-job training needed for illustrious careers in in-demand fields like cybersecurity and information technology,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “From my first day in Congress, modernizing and strengthening career, technical, and vocational education has been my top priority, and getting this bipartisan legislation signed into law is a huge win for students, businesses, and workers.”

Expanding access to and strengthening career and technical education programs at City Colleges and Chicago Public Schools has long been a priority of Mayor Emanuel. The innovative Jumpstart to Jobs initiative was recently launched to provide Chicago’s young people with career-ready skills and marketable credentials for a successful future. Through the initiative, Chicago public high school juniors and seniors can enroll in short-term career programs in one of nine career fields at City Colleges for free.

City Colleges is committed to ensuring that at least half of its graduates participate in work-based learning opportunities. Work-based learning opportunities include apprenticeships, internships, earn and learn experiences and other work-based learning models that offer students the chance to build on the job work experience, develop a professional network, and demonstrate technical and soft skills. With the support of Chicago's business and civic community, City Colleges students enrolled in degree, certificate and boot camp programs will gain tangible experience before entering the workforce.

“The Perkins funding secured by Congressman Krishnamoorthi is key to ensuring that City Colleges continues to offer quality, affordable programs in high-demand fields that put Chicagoans on the path to upward mobility.”

City Colleges continues to work with industry partners to ensure its programs and facilities reflect employer and university demand and prepare students to succeed in high-demand fields. Work is underway on several college facilities, including a Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Center at Olive-Harvey College, which will include automotive and diesel engine laboratories, an engine dynamometer, classrooms, simulated driving facilities, a testing area and vehicle bays, among other features. Daley College Is completing a Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center to prepare students for careers in those fast-growing technical fields. The West Side Learning Center, the satellite campus for Malcolm X College, is undergoing $5 million in renovations, including two new biology labs, an enhanced adult education space, upgraded classrooms and computer labs and renovated nursing labs to support STEM programming.

Perkins Act funding supports CTE programs at City Colleges, including: accounting, addiction studies, architecture, building energy technology, computer networking, computerized numerical control (CNC), criminal justice, cyber security, web development, among others.

Chicago Public Schools is also committed to providing Chicago students greater choice in career paths and training that will set them on a path to the middle class. In the 2018 graduating class, 1,550 students earned an industry certification, which offers industry-focused technical programs that prepare students for future career opportunities.

"Chicago Public Schools has a responsibility to help students succeed after high school and the district has prioritized creating multiple college and career pathways to ensure every student can find the successful pathway that’s right for them," said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “Investing in career and technical education helps broaden the opportunities available to students while still in high school and provide them with an opportunity to earn career credentials. We’re grateful to our elected officials at the city, state, and federal level who have been champions for expanding CTE programming to help our students accomplish their dreams after high school.”

Since 2011, Mayor Emanuel and CPS have expanded career and technical training opportunities in high schools across the city and invested in city high schools with curriculum, programs and opportunities that prepare students for the demands of 21st century, along with strengthening CTE programs at City Colleges and working with employers to create a pipeline to good jobs. This includes the recent $12 million investment to support expanded programming and improved facilities for Career and Technical Education at Charles A. Prosser Career Academy, and the establishment of a comprehensive citywide construction trades program in 2016 at Dunbar Career Academy High School to prepare students for careers in: general construction; carpentry; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC); welding; and electricity.

A record 46.6 percent of CPS graduates this year earned early college and career credentials (ECCC), which help make college more accessible and affordable for students. Mayor Emanuel has set an ambitious goal of ensuring at least 50 percent of all CPS graduates finish high school with early college and career credentials by 2019, and the data released today shows credential attainment surging upward by 50 percent since 2014, when 31.2 percent of students earned credentials. This year, 10,820 graduates from the Class of 2018 earned ECCC.

These programs are supported by the reauthorization of the Perkins Act, which will fund CTE through 2024. As part of the passage of the bill, the US Department of Education will grant more flexibility to Illinois and all state agencies to set accountability metrics. The law also lowers the CTE funding age threshold from high school to 5th grade, allowing students in middle school to take career exploration courses.

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