DANVILLE – Thanks to expanded state funding for the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, State Senator Paul Faraci helped secure a $550,000 grant for the Danville Area Community College to boost the local pipeline of diverse candidates in the construction and building trades.

“I’ve been proud to support the Illinois Works Program since I first entered the Senate in 2023, and it’s truly been rewarding to see the opportunities the program offers for residents of our communities – helping close employment gaps by supporting high-paying careers in the trades,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “Through this partnership with DACC, we’re fostering a diverse, skilled workforce right here in East Central Illinois that directly combats the long-term shortage of trade workers currently facing the U.S.”

The Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program launched in 2021 with the goal of increasing diversity and access to apprenticeship programs. Comprehensive pre-apprenticeship programs help participants gain admission to apprenticeship programs, which provide a greater opportunity to obtain employment in the construction trades and secure a lifelong career.

Through Illinois Works, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is expanding its statewide network of providers to recruit, prescreen and provide pre-apprenticeship skills training. Equally important, the program providers offer structured pathways and manage the program graduates' transition from the pre-apprenticeship program to a full apprenticeship program in construction and the building trades.  

Click here to learn more about the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program.