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HR0050 |
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LRB096 04772 NHT 14836 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, Illinois has a reputation as an economic |
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| powerhouse, demonstrated by globally recognized businesses |
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| producing cutting edge technologies and high-value services, a |
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| gross state product of more than $600 billion in 2007, and the |
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| fifth largest state economy in the nation; and
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| WHEREAS, Jobs that require more than a high school |
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| education but less than a 4-year degree ("middle-skill jobs") |
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| currently make up the largest segment of jobs in this State's |
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| economy and will continue to do so for years to come; and
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| WHEREAS, More than half of Illinois jobs in 2006 were |
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| middle-skill jobs, representing more than 3 million workers; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, The portion of jobs that are middle-skill jobs in |
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| this State is greater than the portion in the nation as a |
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| whole; and
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| WHEREAS, The demand for middle-skill workers in Illinois is |
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| expected to increase between 2004 and 2014, to about one |
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| million middle-skill job openings; and
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| WHEREAS, Middle-skill jobs will be the majority of jobs |
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HR0050 |
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LRB096 04772 NHT 14836 r |
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| needed to build this State's and the nation's green economy; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Middle-skill workers include those that work in |
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| occupations critical to our communities' safety and |
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| infrastructure, including police officers, fire fighters, |
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| nurses, therapists and other medical technicians, air traffic |
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| controllers, electricians, and mechanics; and
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| WHEREAS, Middle-skill jobs are local, hands-on jobs and are |
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| unlikely to be outsourced to other countries; and
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| WHEREAS, In Illinois, 51% of all jobs are classified as |
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| middle-skill, but only 43% of Illinois workers likely have the |
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| education and training required to fill these positions; and
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| WHEREAS, The National Commission on Adult Literacy's most |
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| recent report revealed that more than 350,000 Illinoisans |
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| between the ages of 18 and 64 lacked a high school credential; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, These trends will worsen in Illinois over the next |
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| 15 years as the proportion of low-skill workers in this State's |
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| workforce is likely to increase at the same time that the |
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| percentage of middle-skill workers is projected to decline; and
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HR0050 |
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LRB096 04772 NHT 14836 r |
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| WHEREAS, At the same time there is a decline in educational |
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| attainment in the workforce, there has been a steady and steep |
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| decline in federal funding for workforce education and training |
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| programs, including funding that supports adults to get |
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| associate degrees, vocational certificates, and |
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| apprenticeships and that are offered in both community-based |
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| training organizations and community colleges; and
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| WHEREAS, Two-thirds of the people who will be in this |
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| State's workforce in the year 2020 were already working adults |
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| in 2005, which means that most of the workforce of 2020 will be |
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| people already beyond grade K through 12 education; and
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| WHEREAS, We need to prepare adults currently in the |
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| workforce, who could benefit significantly from new |
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| investments in education and training, to be part of the |
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| solution to the middle-skill gap facing our State today and in |
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| the years ahead; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| this State must guarantee up to 2 years of post-secondary |
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| education or training for all Illinoisans; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That this educational goal must be the core of |
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| our State's economic development, workforce development, and |