A conversation with Senator Mary Edly-Allen
Recently our founder Sue had a great conversation with Senator Mary Edly-Allen about expanding access to work-based learning in Illinois.
What did they discuss?
1. What’s working — like the Give Me TEN internship model and the Earn and Learn pilot at Tech Campus, which pays students to gain hands-on experience. This model supports business partners in delivering work-based learning while removing the expense of training.
2. The challenges holding us back: transportation barriers, lack of sustainable funding, and the need for stronger policy support for nonprofits doing this vital work.
3. Why this matters so much: too many students never see the full range of career options — especially the hidden, high-demand pathways that don’t require a four-year degree.
The skilled labor shortage is real — and if we don’t step up to support local small businesses, doors will close, and opportunities will be lost.
Career and Technical Education is back — stronger than ever. The old way of hiring is gone. It’s time to embrace a new, strategic approach that builds talent pipelines from the ground up. As a community, we must support CTE as the pipeline to our future workforce.
We are grateful for Senator Mary Edly-Allen’s time, support, and commitment to workforce development.