SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) celebrated the Illinois State Board of Education’s (ISBE) announcement that career and technical education (CTE) enrollment has increased.

Citing the first funding increase to CTE programs in over five years, ISBE announced that CTE enrollment has increased by nearly 5,000 students since 2016. Gillespie says it is vital to train more Illinois workers for in-demand, specialized jobs.

“Career and technical education programs offer an affordable alternative to higher education that train students with tangible, hands-on work skills,” Gillespie said. “Increased investments in workforce development will prepare young people for success and ensure that employers have an educated workforce with the skills necessary for their respective industries.”

Earlier this year, Senator Gillespie created the 21st Century Employment Grant Program to identify employment gaps and fund high school and community college programs to fill them. Gillespie also created the Apprenticeship Tax Credit to incentivize employers to invest in employee training and education at Illinois community colleges.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation’s five-year Highway Improvement Program includes major projects for U.S. Route 14 and Illinois Route 53.

U.S. Route 14 between Smith Rd. and Hicks Rd. will receive over $1.1 million for repaving and accessibility improvements for people with disabilities. Three other projects are outlined for U.S. Route 14 in the coming years, potentially including new crosswalks, bridge repair and new left turn lanes.

Illinois Route 53 will receive $1.1 million to repair bridges between U.S. Route 12 (Rand Rd.) and Illinois Route 62 (Algonquin Rd.). Three other projects are outlined for Illinois Route 53 in the coming years.

Palatine Rd. between Williams Dr. and Alison Dr. will receive $800,000 for general repairs.

“Commuters use Northwest Highway and Route 53 every day. They are some of the most-used roads in our community” Gillespie said. “Now that the bipartisan, statewide construction plan is becoming a reality, major roadways across the state will improve and drivers will begin to see savings on vehicle maintenance.”

The program will invest $23.5 billion in improving and expanding roads and bridges throughout Illinois. Projects outlined in the plan will cover 4,212 miles of roadway and 9.2 million square feet of bridge deck statewide between 2020 and 2025.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Recognizing the cultural, economic and historical importance of the Arlington International Racecourse for their districts, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) and State Representative (D-Arlington Heights) recently championed the Racecourse and its application for an organization license and 2020 race dates to the Illinois Racing Board.

Gillespie and Walker recently sent a letter to the board advocating for the Racecourse and have issued the following statement:

“Arlington International Racecourse holds important historical and cultural significance in Arlington Heights and the surrounding area. The Racecourse is a national destination for racing fans and the crown jewel of horse racing in Illinois and the Midwest.

The Racecourse is critical to the economy in our communities. The reduction or loss of an organizational license or race dates will impact over 800 working people. Moreover, such a decision would place a significant burden on the tax revenues of the Village of Arlington Heights and our local school districts. The FY20 budgets for the Village and school districts have already been finalized and the loss of this revenue will have an immediate impact on their ability to deliver basic services.

On behalf of our neighbors, we have urged the Illinois Racing Board to support Arlington International’s applications and grant them their requested organizational license and racing dates.”

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS – Students seeking a master’s degree in social work will be able to take their licensing exam sooner thanks to a new law introduced by State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights).

“Students of social work will now be licensed upon graduation and able to apply for jobs sooner,” said Gillespie. “Our state is facing a social worker shortage, so this new law will allow us to mitigate that much quicker.”

Senate Bill 1888 allows students in a master’s program for social work to take their licensing exam in their final semester. Before this amendment, students needed to wait until after their degree was awarded.

The legislation was an initiative of the National Association of Social Workers and passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 1888 takes effect on Jan. 1, 2020.