HR1040 LRB094 19958 RSP 57342 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The capital construction program proposed by the
3 Governor is estimated to generate 230,000 new living wage jobs
4 across Illinois; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The proposed program intends to invest over $6
6 billion in capital projects that would build critical roads,
7 improve mass transit, and construct and maintain the quality of
8 school buildings; and
 
9     WHEREAS, This program would provide a needed avenue to
10 provide employment for disadvantaged job seekers and the
11 opportunity to improve State and federally funded training
12 programs that ready job seekers for skilled placements; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Access and placement into living wage jobs is one
14 of the main challenges faced by low-income and disadvantaged
15 individuals and families; over 71% of participants surveyed at
16 Illinois Workforce Investment Board Act programs in Chicago
17 asked for assistance with job search and job leads, the most
18 requested service; and
 
19     WHEREAS, Women and minorities continue to be
20 underrepresented in the construction industry workforce and
21 face barriers that limit access and retention in such jobs; and
 
22     WHEREAS, Families transitioning off of welfare are having
23 difficulty accessing jobs, with almost half of the surveyed
24 families in Illinois not finding employment in 2003; ninety
25 percent of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families caseload
26 who did find work remained in poverty; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Even for families with working members, income is
28 oftentimes insufficient for self-sufficiency; in Illinois, the
29 wage needed for a family of four to be self-sufficient ranges

 

 

HR1040 - 2 - LRB094 19958 RSP 57342 r

1 from $36,408 to $43,704; and
 
2     WHEREAS, While finding and maintaining employment is
3 crucial for ex-offenders re-entering society, employment and
4 job placement continues to be a serious challenge; studies of
5 ex-offenders in Illinois indicate that only 28% of those
6 surveyed in 2005 had some form of employment a year after their
7 release; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Jobs generated through the capital construction
9 program offer Illinois an opportunity to provide employment
10 with sufficient wages to populations that need employment the
11 most by expanding job opportunities for disadvantaged and
12 underrepresented populations; and
 
13     WHEREAS, In order to connect individuals with jobs
14 generated by the capital construction program, a greater pool
15 of skilled applicants is necessary; training opportunities
16 need to be made available to disadvantaged and underrepresented
17 populations to contribute to expanding the qualified
18 workforce; therefore, be it
 
19     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
21 the Governor and the General Assembly establish goals and
22 mechanisms that will increase the participation of
23 disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in the workforce and
24 ensure that the benefits of the capital construction program
25 will reach all populations in Illinois; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
27 presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the
28 President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Director
29 of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Secretary of
30 Transportation.