Chambana Sun

In a Feb. 27 news release, Sen. Paul Faraci (R-Champaign) shared a declaration that February was Career and Technical Education Month in Illinois.

“By passing this resolution, we hope to bring additional awareness to the benefits of CTE programs and the high-wage careers that trades offer," he said. "Having a skilled workforce is one of the things companies look at when considering new development in an area.”

The Illinois Department of Education provides educators with opportunities for CTE teaching licenses.

The state of Illinois also is home to the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education. It works with educators to further push CTE learning and opportunities.

The bill was first filed on Feb. 22, with three Senate sponsors: Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Crest Hill), Faraci, and Michael W. Halpin (D-Rock Island). The resolution notes that around 412,000 students are enrolled in Career Technical Education programs across the state and CTE programs lead in providing instruction for careers in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand occupations.

According to The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)  773 out of 823 Illinois public schools offered CTE programs in 2019.

Career Clusters in CTE include agriculture, food, and natural resources, or construction. There are also pathways for business management and administration, government and public administration, hospitality and tourism, manufacturing, marketing, and more.

According to The ISBE, the state received approximately $42.2 million from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and the funding was distributed to produce CTE programs.

“We need to give people opportunity to make a good living, and CTE programs provide bright futures with pathways to good-paying jobs in major industries,” said Faraci.

Faraci was selected to replace the late Sen. Scott Bennett, who passed away in December. Faraci worked as a senior account manager for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity focusing on economic development, and served as a senior advisor to State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. He has also served as the City of Champaign Township Assessor, Champaign City Council from 2011-2017 and Deputy Mayor City of Champaign 2015-2017.