McHenry Times

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently assured business leaders from across the state that the current business climate was improving under his leadership, adding that Illinois is outperforming much of the country when it comes to producing skilled workers.

Pritzker gave the keynote address during the annual convention of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association on April 26, an event during with industry leaders shared their concerns about the business climate and pending pieces of legislation. According to a story by Capitol News Illinois, Pritzker stressed that Illinois' workforce is in good hands.

“People are talking to Mississippi about low-wage workers that they can get if they put a low-wage manufacturing facility in that state,” Pritzker said during his address. “But what they talk to Illinois about is skilled labor and skilled workers, because we provide those, and we have the third largest community college system in the entire nation. And we're utilizing that to make sure that we're at the top of the heap when it comes to skilled work.”

As part of his keynote address, Pritzker pointed to the investment and corresponding increases in workforce training and apprenticeships during his tenure, adding that the budget proposal he sent to the General Assembly earlier this year includes increased funding for community colleges, universities and student financial aid. Several pieces of legislation are pending as Congress heads into its final phase before it adjourns on May 19.

In March, Pritzker raised the possibility of tax cuts should state revenues continue to improve. Since then, however, data shows revenue growth has slowed, suggesting that lawmakers might have to scale back plans for next fiscal year, Capitol News Illinois reported.