The Illinois Works for the Future Campaign calls on Governor Pat Quinn to sign HB 852 creating the 21st Century Workforce Fund.  This bill sets up the structure for a fund (that could receive funds from a number of sources, but currently is unfunded) that prioritizes support in order to place hard-to-employ workers into low-skill jobs in the green economy.  This includes (but is not limited to) jobs in energy efficiency, recycling, urban farming, sustainable landscaping, and manufacturing for alternative energy.

This bill passed with overwhelming support in both the House and the Senate, and creates a fund with transparency, oversight and accountability.  A 21-member Advisory Committee is charged with reviewing, advising and making recommendations to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity about grant applications.

We are calling on the Governor to sign this bill into law. While there is no money in the bill at present, this fund will be able to be used flexibly by communities to address the specific needs for job training in green jobs and in industries with critical skills shortages, and provide support to get those with barriers to employment into the work place.