As ‘skills gap’ grows, teens learn about potential careers – and try out big machines – at Johnsburg High

As ‘skills gap’ grows, career event at Johnsburg High shows hundreds of teens the way to future work

Students from high schools throughout northern Illinois got to learn about and gets hands-on experience with skilled industries during SkillsUSA Illinois’ first Industry Pathways Career Experience event earlier this month at Johnsburg High School.

More than 500 students from 20 high schools and career centers across the region participated in the event that focused on diesel technician and equipment operator industries, with the aims of showing students potential career pathways, bringing employers and potential future employees together, encouraging more youth involvement in the Apprenticeships Build America program and help fill what organizers called a national workforce shortage in the heavy machinery industry.

The all-day program was also intended to ”address the growing skills gap, by showing youth the successful careers available without needing a four-year college degree,” according to a SkillsUSA Illinois news release. The organization has held other events around the state focusing on careers in construction.

Students attended the event for free and got to try out equipment, go through mock job interviews, and network, and there were prizes and giveaways.

Besides Johnsburg High’s own students, the event drew hundreds of teens from schools across northern Illinois as well as Wisconsin, including Alden-Hebron, Hampshire, Harvard, Marengo and Woodstock.

SkillsUSA Illinois sponsored the event through the Youth Workforce Development Foundation, along with the AED Foundation, and businesses and labor unions from around the region partnered to put on the event with demonstrations, discussions and opportunities for hands-on experiences for the students who got to try out machinery on site.

Industry partners were:

Alta Equipment Co.

Altorfer Inc.

Atlas BobCat

Burris Equipment Co.

Finkbiner Equipment Co.

Illinois Ready Mixed Concrete Association

Local 150 Operating Engineers Union

McCann Industries

McCullough Kubota

Rock Solid

Roland Machinery Co.

United Rentals

Vermeer Midwest

West Side Tractor

SkillsUSA and AED put on the session as part of nearly $8 million in federal funding the organizations secured this summer for the initiatives to promote apprenticeships and address workforce shortages.

Here is where to find more about SkillsUSA Illinois and its work connecting students with meaningful careers: skillsusaillinois.org.