CHICAGO — State Senator Willie Preston secured $550,000 to help the Community Development Institute revitalize the community by providing a pathway to good-paying jobs in trades.

“The Illinois works Pre-Apprenticeship Program lays a solid foundation for rebuilding our communities, household by household, by equipping people with the skills to pay the bills,” said Preston (D-Chicago).  “Apprenticeships are bridges from low-income families to the middle class, from renting to home ownership, from simply surviving to thriving.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $19 million in grant funding through the Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program to 38 organizations across the state. The purpose of the funding is to create more pathways for kids to access pre-apprenticeship programs and registered apprenticeships, which provide greater opportunities to secure lifelong careers in the construction trades. In Preston’s district, the Community Development Institute will see a total of $550,000 to support pre-apprenticeship students.

“When I was 21 years old, with a desire to provide for my family, I took a chance and enrolled in the Carpenters Pre-Apprenticeship Program,” said Preston. That opportunity changed not only the trajectory of my life, but the life of my entire family, and ultimately led me to where I am today.”

To see a full list of organizations receiving grant funding across the state, click here.