Illinois law promoting diversity in construction set to take effect

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Illinois Works Jobs Program legislation Dec. 10 to strengthen a pillar of the state’s Rebuild Illinois initiative and increase diversity in apprenticeships for construction and the building trades. Senate Bill 177 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Rebuild Illinois is a $45 billion capital program designed to improve the state’s infrastructure and provide resources to those in the building profession.

The Illinois Works Jobs Program will help ensure that Illinois residents from all communities not only benefit from capital projects, but also have access to careers in the construction industry and building trades.

The law encompasses a $25 million investment and works through community-based organizations. These organizations will help recruit new apprentices to work on construction projects and sets strong apprentice participation goals of 10 percent on public works projects. Through this pre-apprenticeship program, bid credit program and review panel, the new law is designed to help ensure the Illinois Works Jobs Program can build and maintain a diverse workforce on Rebuild Illinois projects.

“Rebuild Illinois is the largest, most robust capital plan in state history. We’re working with our partners to make sure every community in the state benefits from these good jobs—especially those who have been left out for far too long,” Pritzker says. “We’re putting Illinois’ government back on the side of working families, designing a state that is economically prosperous not just for the few, but for every Illinoisan, no matter the color of their skin or their ZIP code.”

“In order to build a healthy and comprehensive economy, we must supply minority businesses with full and fair access to local and state contraction opportunities,” Illinois Sen. Napoleon Harris III says. “I applaud Gov. Pritzker for seeing the significance of this measure and hope to see local governments taking advantage of the business enterprise program to decrease the inequality gap for minority, veterans and female-owned businesses.”

“This legislation creates economic opportunity for working people that have typically been left out of the construction industry,” Illinois House Assistant Majority Leader Will Davis says. “The Rebuild Illinois capital program makes an unprecedented investment in our state, and we’re making sure that benefits all of our communities.”