Halpin Backs IDOT Highway Construction Careers Training Program Opportunities, Graduates

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, is supporting the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP), which held a graduation ceremony last Friday for its most recent class of trainees.

“IDOT’s career training program doesn’t just provide hard-working Illinois with opportunities for free practical education, they offer a foundation for people to maintain sustainable good-paying jobs,” Halpin said. “Programs like this and the impressive graduates who take advantage are fueling a more robust economy for our state while literally building stronger communities, with infrastructure projects across Illinois. I’m grateful to the program instructors for their contributions to a better future for Illinois, and I wish the best for the graduates.”

The HCCTP, an initiative run by the Illinois Department of Transportation in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration, is funded by the bipartisan balanced budget Halpin helped pass last spring, which provided money for economic stimulus programs and practical, affordable jobs training initiatives such as this. The goal of the program is to offer vocational training opportunities and future jobs prospects to qualified candidates, especially in minority and disadvantaged groups. It provides a free alternative to costly on-the-job training initiatives that often insufficiently cover critical elements of job education, and can lead to low-quality work, safety hazards and even injuries.

“I’m proud to share a community with many graduates of this excellent program,” Halpin said. “I encourage anyone interested in affordable training in construction or a similar field to consider the HCCTP as a possible career path. They are doing great work.”