HR1040 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1040 LRB094 19958 RSP 57342 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The capital construction program proposed by the Governor is estimated to generate 230,000 new living wage jobs across Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The proposed program intends to invest over $6 billion in capital projects that would build critical roads, improve mass transit, and construct and maintain the quality of school buildings; and

WHEREAS, This program would provide a needed avenue to provide employment for disadvantaged job seekers and the opportunity to improve State and federally funded training programs that ready job seekers for skilled placements; and

WHEREAS, Access and placement into living wage jobs is one of the main challenges faced by low-income and disadvantaged individuals and families; over 71% of participants surveyed at Illinois Workforce Investment Board Act programs in Chicago asked for assistance with job search and job leads, the most requested service; and

WHEREAS, Women and minorities continue to be underrepresented in the construction industry workforce and face barriers that limit access and retention in such jobs; and

WHEREAS, Families transitioning off of welfare are having difficulty accessing jobs, with almost half of the surveyed families in Illinois not finding employment in 2003; ninety percent of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families caseload who did find work remained in poverty; and

WHEREAS, Even for families with working members, income is oftentimes insufficient for self-sufficiency; in Illinois, the wage needed for a family of four to be self-sufficient ranges from $36,408 to $43,704; and

WHEREAS, While finding and maintaining employment is crucial for ex-offenders re-entering society, employment and job placement continues to be a serious challenge; studies of ex-offenders in Illinois indicate that only 28% of those surveyed in 2005 had some form of employment a year after their release; and

WHEREAS, Jobs generated through the capital construction program offer Illinois an opportunity to provide employment with sufficient wages to populations that need employment the most by expanding job opportunities for disadvantaged and underrepresented populations; and

WHEREAS, In order to connect individuals with jobs generated by the capital construction program, a greater pool of skilled applicants is necessary; training opportunities need to be made available to disadvantaged and underrepresented populations to contribute to expanding the qualified workforce; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Governor and the General Assembly establish goals and mechanisms that will increase the participation of disadvantaged and underrepresented groups in the workforce and ensure that the benefits of the capital construction program will reach all populations in Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Governor of the State of Illinois, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and the Secretary of Transportation.