Illinois Expands Manufacturing Training at Community Colleges

State grants aim to boost manufacturing workforce through new training academies

Feb. 4, 2026 at 2:07pm

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The state of Illinois is dedicating $24 million in grants to establish six new manufacturing training academies at community colleges across the state. The goal is to expand access to programs and certificates in advanced manufacturing skills like robotics, welding, and renewable energy technology, helping to address labor shortages in the industry.

Why it matters

As the U.S. manufacturing sector continues to shed jobs, Illinois is looking to invest in developing a skilled workforce to support its manufacturing base. The new training academies are part of a broader effort by the state to attract and retain manufacturing companies, including through tax incentives for renewable energy manufacturers.

The details

The $24 million in grants will be awarded through a competitive application process to community colleges outside of the Chicago metro area. The funding will add to two existing manufacturing training academies that opened in 2024 at Heartland Community College and Southwestern Illinois College. The new academies will offer programs in a range of advanced manufacturing technologies, aiming to funnel candidates into high-demand, well-paying jobs in the sector.

  • The first two manufacturing training academies opened in 2024.
  • The latest round of $24 million in grant funding was announced in February 2026.
  • Community colleges can apply for grants ranging from $3 million to $6 million through a bidding process that opened earlier this month.

The players

JB Pritzker

The governor of Illinois, who has promoted the manufacturing training academy program as a way to develop the state's skilled manufacturing workforce.

Mark Denzler

The president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, a pro-business trade group that was instrumental in launching the training academy program.

Frank Manzo

An economist at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, who argues that raising pay and benefits is the best way to address labor shortages in manufacturing.

Robert Bruno

The director of labor education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a board member of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, who says that unionization is key to generating higher job quality in manufacturing.

Pat Devaney

A representative of the Illinois AFL-CIO, who says that unions and manufacturers both benefit from a skilled workforce, but that jobs must be unionized to provide a pathway to the middle class.

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What they’re saying

“Today's manufacturing is far different than it looked 10, 20, 30 years ago. (For) the states that are going to win on economic development, a large part of that is making sure we have a skilled workforce.”

— Mark Denzler, President and CEO, Illinois Manufacturers' Association

“Our skilled workforce is part of what makes Illinois a manufacturing powerhouse. This critical grant funding will empower more Illinoisans to pursue high-demand, well-paying jobs in our growing manufacturing sector.”

— JB Pritzker

“Unions have been hollowed out. As a result, job quality at these plants has been hollowed out, and that's one of the reasons why people don't want to work in manufacturing.”

— Frank Manzo, Economist, Illinois Economic Policy Institute

“The strongest institution for generating higher job quality is to work under a collective bargaining agreement.”

— Robert Bruno, Director of Labor Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

“The IMA has a long history of working collaboratively with unions across Illinois on a number of vital issues.”

— Mark Denzler, President and CEO, Illinois Manufacturers' Association

What’s next

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The takeaway

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