Todayy, I had two amazing, smart young women join me at the Capitol as my pages for the day. Ellen, a 17-year-old junior at Grayslake High School who is interested in becoming a judge, and Savannah, a 15-year-old freshman at Bloomington High School who is interested in journalism and theater. It was so great to have them join me. They both have very bright futures ahead of them!

Quishawna had been having a hard time finding employment that paid a living wage for her family. She attended Senator Bush's Round Lake Job Fair in July with the hopes of finding a good-paying job.

At the job fair, Quishawna initially spoke with employers who were hiring for cashier positions since she had experience as a cashier. When she came across Glenkirk, a nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilites, Quishawna thought about her mother who is involved in a mental health program, and after speaking with the Glenkirk representatives, Quishawna knew she wanted to work there.

“I felt the chemistry as they explained what the job was about. My experience with my mother and my customer service background fit together for this type of work.”

The day after the job fair, Glenkirk staff reached out to Quishawna for an interview. Later that week, she was hired. On July 26th, Quishawna started full-time at Glenkirk as a Direct Support Professional. In her position, she coordinates activities for individuals with disabilities.

“I’ve never had a job with benefits before. Now I can earn vacation days. The company offers a retirement package and a medical plan.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has released competitive grant opportunities to support Adult and Youth Registered Apprenticeships in Illinois. Apprenticeship programs meet the skilled workforce needs of industry by connecting job seekers looking to learn new skills with employers looking for qualified workers, resulting in a workforce with industry-driven training and employers with a competitive edge.

The Department will host a workshop to review the Apprenticeship Plus model and highlight the current funding opportunities on April 4, 2017 at 10:00am at the Bilandic Building, 160 N. LaSalle St, 5th floor auditorium, Chicago.

To RSVP for the event or for more information about the grants, click here.

Earlier this month, two surveys on the Illinois Senate's budget and reform legislation package were sent out to 31st district residents. 163 people completed the short survey and 359 people completed the long one. The results of those surveys are below.

Short survey results

Long survey results