A NEW PLAN FOR ILLINOIS ILLINOIS’ UNIFIED STATE PLAN FOR EXECUTION OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Illinois Workforce System ............................................................................................................................ 2 State Agency Partners ................................................................................................................................. 3 Illinois Workforce Innovation Board .......................................................................................................... 11 State Workforce Development Activities ................................................................................................. 19 The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities ................................................. 20 WIOA Implementation & Coordination ..................................................................................................... 23 Economic and Workforce Development Activities Analysis ................................................................... 30 Emerging Industry Sectors and Occupations .......................................................................................... 40 Employers’ Employment Needs ................................................................................................................ 43 Workforce Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 48 Skill Gaps .................................................................................................................................................... 59 State Strategic Vision and Goals ................................................................................................................ 62 Goals ........................................................................................................................................................... 63 State Strategy .............................................................................................................................................67 State Strategy Implementation ................................................................................................................. 71 Alignment of Core, Required and Optional Partner Programs ............................................................... 89 Alignment with Activities outside the Plan ............................................................................................... 97 Coordination, Alignment and Provision of Services to Employers ........................................................ 103 Partner Engagement with Educational Institutions ............................................................................... 108 Partner Engagement with Other Education and Training Providers. ..................................................... 110 Leveraging Resources to Increase Educational Access .......................................................................... 112 Improving Access to Post-Secondary Credentials ................................................................................... 114 Coordinating with Economic Development Strategies .......................................................................... 120 State Operating Systems and Policies ...................................................................................................... 122 State of Illinois Policies ............................................................................................................................ 128 Previous Assessment Results .................................................................................................................. 132 Distribution of Funds for Core Programs ................................................................................................ 135 Program Data ........................................................................................................................................... 143 ILLINOIS UNIFIED STATE PLAN Introduction Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the United States Departments of Labor and Education require states to submit a Unified State Plan every four years. A modification to this document is required every two years. The State of Illinois submitted its first Unified State Plan for the period of 2016-2020. In 2018, the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) formed a team of IWIB members and WIOA core agency staff to update Illinois’ Unified State Plan and submit the modification. The modification to the Unified State Plan was put out for public comment in 2016 and 2018 and all comments were discussed and implemented into the final version of the plan. The Illinois WIOA Unified State Plan is designed to provide a vision of the Governor’s integration of workforce, education and economic development policy while also serving as a federal compliance document for the United States Departments of Labor and Education under the federal WIOA. The Unified State Plan outlines the vision, principles and goals for the integration of workforce, education and economic development programs for the State of Illinois. Note: The Departments of Labor and Education provide a detailed framework for the submittal of the Unified State Plan (Training and Employment Guidance Letter WIOA No. 6-17), ensuring that each state’s response is consistently structured. For the purposes of making this report reader-friendly, sections have been re-structured. 1 ILLINOIS UNIFIED STATE PLAN Illinois Workforce System Governor Rauner’s administration is focused on delivering value for taxpayers, creating a pro-jobs economic climate, ensuring world-class schools and educational options for every Illinoisan and bringing greater accountability to state government. This section of the plan includes a summary of the workforce system and the capacity of state agencies and boards that are responsible for the administration of the workforce and education programs. The Governor, Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) and WIOA core partners, including the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (Commerce), the Illinois Department of Employment Security (Employment Security), the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) jointly developed the Unified State Plan. The state developed this Unified State Plan with the intent to integrate the programs listed below (including the non-core programs) into the strategies outlined in the Unified State Plan. • Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity o Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs o Employment and Training under the Community Services Block Grant Program o Trade Act Programs o Regional Economic Development • Illinois Community College Board o Adult Education and Family Literacy Act o Career and Technical Education Programs at the postsecondary level authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 • Illinois Department of Employment Security o Wagner-Peyser Employment Services including Labor Market Information o Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers Monitor Advocate System o Veterans Employment and Training Services o Unemployment Insurance Services o Trade Adjustment Assistance • Illinois Department of Human Services o Rehabilitation Services for Individuals with Disabilities o Temporary Assistance for Needy Families • Illinois Department on Aging o Senior Community Services Employment Program • Illinois Department of Corrections o Section 212 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 • Nationally Directed - Locally Administered Programs o National Farmworker Jobs Program o YouthBuild o Job Corps o Housing and Urban Development 2 ILLINOIS UNIFIED STATE PLAN State Agency Partners Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (Commerce) is the state agency that leads economic development efforts for Illinois. A primary focus of Commerce is to retain and create jobs in Illinois by assisting: • Existing businesses, encouraging them to reinvest and create more jobs for Illinois citizens; • New businesses, inviting them to relocate, invest and create new jobs; • International companies, positioning Illinois as a global business destination for Foreign Direct Investment; • Entrepreneurs and investors, connecting resources to support their startups and ventures; and • Locally and globally, promoting Illinois as a world-class tourism and film destination. Commerce works with businesses, local governments and community organizations to advance economic development and improve the state’s competitiveness in the global economy. Commerce is organized into the following offices that are focused on economic growth for the State of Illinois: • Business Development: Administers job creation/retention grants, loans and tax credit programs; • Employment and Training: Oversees statewide workforce training system, and promotes and coordinates initiatives to bridge skills gaps; • Community Assistance: helps low-income households in Illinois maintain utility services and reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency, and helps individuals and families move toward stabilization;