Krishnamoorthi Presents $2 Million Check for Elgin Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing Training

CHICAGO - Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined Chicago Deputy Mayor for Education and Youth Khari Humphries, Elgin Community College (ECC) President Dr. Peggy Heinrich, ECC Board of Trustees Chair Jennifer Rakow, HIRE360 Executive Director Jay Rowell, and Chicago Aldermen Stephanie Coleman, David Moore, and Gil Villegas at HIRE360's Training and Business Development Center. Krishnamoorthi presented a ceremonial $2 million check representing federal funding he secured for advanced manufacturing training equipment at ECC.

The investment supports the college's new 150,000-square-foot Manufacturing and Technology Center, which began classes in August and is already serving nearly 600 students through programs in robotics, automation, welding, HVAC, industrial maintenance, and energy management. The event also featured remarks from Deputy Mayor Humphries and firsthand accounts from HIRE360 apprenticeship program participants about their training and preparation for careers in the skilled trades.

"A four-year degree must not be the only path to a good-paying career," said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. "That's why I secured $2 million for advanced manufacturing training equipment at Elgin Community College and previously secured $1 million to help establish HIRE360's training center, where Jay Rowell and his team are doing tremendous work preparing Illinoisans for union apprenticeships. Whether students are learning to operate sophisticated equipment or training for the skilled trades, career and technical education gives them the skills employers need and the opportunity to build rewarding careers, support their families, and strengthen our economy."

The investment builds on $936,000 Krishnamoorthi previously secured for ECC's mechatronics and automation programs in 2023. He also secured $1 million in federal funding for HIRE360's Training and Business Development Center, which opened in Chicago in 2024. This year, HIRE360's pre-apprenticeship programs graduated 49 participants in Kane and Cook counties.

Krishnamoorthi helped write the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, signed into law in 2018, and helped introduce the bipartisan Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act, which passed both chambers of Congress and would prohibit unnecessary educational requirements for federal contractor personnel unless agencies provide written justification.