Springfield, IL – Illinois high school students will have another option for meeting graduation requirements under a newly signed law expanding access to career and technical education courses.
According to the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3070, an initiative backed by the organization that allows high school students to take Career and Technical Education courses in place of foreign language classes currently required for graduation.
The change is intended to give students greater flexibility while opening additional pathways into manufacturing, skilled trades and other careers requiring technical training.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, which represents nearly 4,000 companies and facilities, supported the legislation as a way to strengthen the state’s future workforce.
“Providing hands-on learning opportunities is critical to the development of a skilled manufacturing workforce that
will strengthen our state’s economy for generations to come,” Sarah Hartwick, senior vice president and corporate board secretary for the association, said in a statement Friday.
Hartwick said the organization expects the law to help prepare more Illinois students for careers in manufacturing and thanked state Sen. Willie Preston and state Rep. Will Davis for their work on the measure.
Career and technical education can expose high school students to hands-on training and career pathways before graduation, providing an alternative for students who may want to pursue technical fields, apprenticeships or other workforce opportunities.
The new law does not eliminate foreign language courses from Illinois high schools. Instead, it provides another route for qualifying students to satisfy the applicable graduation requirement through career and technical education.
For Illinois families, the change could mean greater flexibility when students plan their high school coursework and consider what they want to do after graduation.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association describes itself as the nation’s oldest and largest state manufacturing trade association and advocates for the manufacturing industry across Illinois.
