Gov. Pritzker Signs Executive Order to Prepare Illinois’ Workforce for the Jobs of the Future

CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-03 to establish an Illinois State Attainment Working Group. The working group will evaluate Illinois’ workforce and training needs, which includes identifying the degrees, certificates, workforce credentials, and support systems Illinoisans will need to meet future labor market demand, strengthen economic mobility, and support long-term economic growth across the state. ​

The group will also establish a postsecondary attainment goal for 2040. Postsecondary attainment refers to the percentage of Illinois adults who have successfully completed a degree, credential, or training program after high school. Currently, nearly 60% of Illinois adults hold a high-quality postsecondary credential.

“Companies from across the globe choose to do business in Illinois because of our strong workforce. Looking ahead, we must ensure our workforce has access to programs, training, and education that continue to prepare them for the jobs of the future,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When we strengthen our workforce, we expand economic mobility for our communities statewide. The Illinois State Attainment Working Group will build on Illinois’ strong track record of strategic investments, policy decisions, and the significant progress we’ve already made in expanding college access and workforce training opportunities.”

The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce projects that within five years, more than 70% of jobs will require education or training beyond high school. According to Lumina Foundation, the share of Illinois adults holding a postsecondary degree or credential has increased from 41% in 2008 to approximately 58% today. Despite this progress, gaps in attainment persist across communities, highlighting the need to expand postsecondary attainment in ways that ensure equitable access to credentials of value. This initiative to establish goals for 2040 builds on the work of the P-20 Council in 2009, which adopted a statewide postsecondary attainment goal that 60% of adults would hold a high-quality postsecondary credential by 2025. ​

To guide the state’s continued progress, the Working Group will work with an external partner to conduct a comprehensive economic and labor market analysis projecting Illinois’ workforce needs through 2040 and informing the state’s next attainment goal. The Working Group will also lead a robust stakeholder engagement process — including regional meetings, focus groups, and interviews — to get input from partners, including local workforce boards, postsecondary institutions, economic development organizations, employers and industry leaders, labor unions, students, advocates, and community-based organizations to ensure broad representation and cross-sector alignment.

This announcement comes as Illinois continues to build one of the strongest talent pipelines in the country through historic investments in higher education and workforce training. Illinois was recently ranked #1 in the Midwest for workforce development and #2 in the nation for corporate expansion for the fourth consecutive year by Site Selection Magazine. ​

Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, the state has expanded access to higher education while strengthening career pathways across industries. Illinois’ public universities reached their highest enrollment in a decade in 2025, while the state’s community college system — the third largest in the United States — has recorded four consecutive years of enrollment growth, expanding workforce training opportunities across Illinois. At the same time, the Pritzker Administration has made higher education more affordable than ever, with 44% of in-state undergraduate students at Illinois public universities paying zero tuition and fees.

“Developing a new attainment goal is aligned with the state’s higher education strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois, and will help ensure we are giving all people of Illinois an opportunity at economic mobility and prosperity,” said Ginger Ostro, Executive Director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE). “Reaching a thriving and inclusive economy for all people of Illinois requires that we remove barriers to a higher education and well-paying jobs, especially for economically disadvantaged communities.”

"Every Illinois student deserves a clear path from high school to a meaningful career," said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. "We applaud Governor Pritzker for advancing this work to strengthen postsecondary attainment. Expanding access to high-quality credentials after high school will open doors for more Illinoisans, strengthen our workforce, and create greater opportunity for families across our state."

“A new statewide attainment goal will help align partners across education, workforce, and government around shared objectives, ultimately driving credential attainment and expanding opportunities for Illinois residents,” said Brian Durham, Executive Director of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). “The Illinois State Attainment Working Group will play an important role in strengthening pathways, expanding access and equity, and ensuring more learners have a clear pathway to economic mobility. This work aligns perfectly with the mission of Illinois’ community colleges.” ​ ​

“Illinois’ 5-year Economic Growth Plan, Open For Business, identified strategies to support key sectors, attract businesses, and create good-paying, quality jobs,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Director Kristin Richards, “DCEO’s Education for Careers initiative, articulated in that plan, is exactly what this working group intends to address: how do we best prepare Illinoisans for the careers of the future, and plan for workforce needs that will support Illinois’ employers, helping us achieve continued economic prosperity across the state.”

“Talent is one of Illinois’ greatest competitive advantages — our ability to attract new investment is tied to the strength of our workforce,” said Christy George, President and CEO of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC). “Aligning education, training, and credentials with the skills employers need will help Illinois continue to compete and win and will create meaningful opportunities for residents across the state.”

“Setting a state goal for the proportion of a state’s labor force with college degrees and other credentials of value can help drive economic prosperity,” said Patrick Crane, Lumina’s Strategy Director for State Policy. “We applaud Illinois’ efforts to center higher education’s value for residents.”

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