I was a recent college graduate and felt directionless in my career. I had attempted career training programs, but nothing seemed to align with my needs, giving me skills and mentorship I could use. When my cousin told me about a career roundtable hosted by Young Invincibles here in Chicago, I was immediately interested. I had been searching for a career that would both pay a living wage and offer opportunities for growth, unlike the dead-end odd jobs that I had landed over the years. At the roundtable, I learned about a new path that could lead to my goals: apprenticeships. The more that I learned about these programs that pay participants as they receive training and are connected with mentors, the more I felt that apprenticeships could fill a career gap that many young people like myself face. This is particularly important in our home state of Illinois where youth unemployment (age 16-24) is 14.2 percent, the second highest rate in the country. I am excited about the apprenticeship programs launching this summer across the state and hope to see more opportunities like this in my communities. Following a career you love shouldn’t feel like a lottery, and I encourage Gov. Rauner and the IIlinois legislature to create more apprenticeship opportunities for young people like myself.
Apprenticeships provide the foundational tools and support that many young adults in my community are missing. While attending college is one route to a successful career, many college graduates and young Illinoisans who didn’t attend school enter the workforce underprepared. I’m hopeful to see that Governor Rauner has invested in expanding apprenticeship programs because the same formula for success is not working for some communities, and increasing more opportunities outside of traditional degree programs will get more young adults in our community into the workforce and on a path to success. This summer, Illinois is launching apprenticeship pilot programs across the state, creating learning opportunities in healthcare, information and technology, manufacturing, and more. These programs are a pathway out of poverty for many young Illinoisans. Apprenticeships are tool for making sure that it doesn’t always matter how you start your career journey, creating the possibility to finish strong based on the opportunities we take, and the opportunities we demand for ourselves.