SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The area’s newest representative in Springfield is supporting legislation that a lobbying group says should increase training opportunities, and strengthen the workforce.
It’s a package of bills the Illinois Manufacturers Association supports that they say will help students explore jobs in the manufacturing industry — instead of the old-fashioned way of classroom learning.
“Along the way, you just get a little disenfranchised with learning. I think the number-one antidote to this, is hands-on experience,” said Weaver (R-Pekin), at a Springfield news conference.
Weaver says one of those barriers has come to be liability insurance, and how it can limit hands-on learning.
“The struggle is that it’s unclear today who should be responsible for this,” said Weaver. “The manufacturer technically can’t do it because of insurance. The parents probably shouldn’t have to do it. The schools may be able to do it, but it’s unclear how they would be able to do it.”
Weaver supports a measure that would create a bi-partisan working group to figure that problem out.
Bi-partisan legislation would, among other things, allow students to take two years of career training instead of a foreign language, among five different pieces of legislation being introduced.
THE PACKAGE OF BILLS BEING INTRODUCED:
HB 3590: Establishes an advisory committee under the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to make recommendations on removing barriers preventing students from participating in career development experiences. The advisory committee will include representation of several key agencies including the State Board of Education, the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, the Department of Insurance and the Illinois Community College Board. The recommendations must include ways the state can establish a system of providing liability insurance for high school and community college students who are working with employers, including on manufacturing floors, during career development experiences.
HB 3307: Allows students to take two years of career training education in place of two years of a foreign language that is currently part of the State’s high school graduation requirements.
HB 3308/SB1450: Creates the Manufacturer Child Care Center Incentive Pilot Program. This pilot program will allow 10 manufacturers to open on-site, employee-only childcare centers at no cost to their employees. The employer is required to follow staffing, medication, background check and liability insurance requirements, but provides an expedited approval process.
HB 3287/SB991: Creates stipends for manufacturing employees who also serve as teachers by providing financial incentives through stipends from ISBE, subject to appropriation, for a manufacturing employee, in the amount of one-half of the salary of the employee that is employed by a manufacturing company and working within a school district as a licensed career and technical education teacher.
HB 3286/SB992: Creates state stipends for teacher externships. Requires ISBE, subject to appropriation, to provide stipends for teachers who participate in externships with a manufacturing company in this State. The externships experience is designed to give teachers the opportunity to spend time outside of the classroom and in manufacturing facilities.
(Source: Illinois Manufacturers Association Education Foundation)
