Illinois Community Colleges Celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month

Rend Lake College is a regional leader in workforce training

 

SPRINGFIELD, IL (February 13, 2024) - February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and Illinois community colleges across the state, including Rend Lake College, are celebrating their valuable role in preparing the workforce for in-demand jobs. CTE programs offered at community colleges provide students with hands-on training and real-world experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

 

At RLC, CTE programs offer a comprehensive range of courses, from welding to healthcare, with technology and facilities that provide students an immersive learning environment that mirrors real-world work settings.

 

"Rend Lake College is proud to be part of the workforce solution in Illinois,” said RLC Director of Perkins and CTE Kristina Shelton. “Our CTE programs equip students with the skills they need to succeed in today's competitive job market."

 

CTE programs at Illinois community colleges offer an affordable way for individuals to pursue their career goals by costing a fraction of the tuition at four-year institutions, making it a more accessible option for many students.

 

"Illinois community colleges are a leading workforce developer in the state and are continuing to expand access and opportunities to dozens of good paying careers," said Brian Durham, Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board. "CTE programs at community colleges are an essential part of our state's workforce development strategy, and we are proud to be a part of preparing the next generation of workers."

 

In 2023, RLC reported a graduation rate of 75% from its CTE programs, with 87% of these graduates successfully finding employment within six months.

 

As RLC’s president who runs a local farm and has spent a decade on Illinois’ Workforce Innovation Board, Terry Wilkerson is a believer in CTE. “You can't deny the impact of Career-Technical Education programming,” he said. “CTE leads to a strong workforce for our communities and great job opportunities for our students.”

 

Statewide, nearly 37,500 students graduated from the more than 4,600 approved CTE certificate and degree programs offered by Illinois Community Colleges in 2023.

 

The National Skills Coalition says nearly two-thirds of jobs in the U.S. economy are middle-skill jobs that require education beyond high school but not a four-year college degree. Many of these jobs are in CTE fields such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and IT which are among the fastest-growing occupations projected through 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

RLC offers CTE in agriculture, automotive and heavy equipment maintenance technology, machining and manufacturing, healthcare, computers and information technology, criminal justice, culinary arts, early childhood education, graphic design, business, drone operations, welding and more. For more information about CTE programs offered at RLC, please visit   rlc.edu/programs.