Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program (CEJA)

Investments in clean energy technology and infrastructure, funded through CEJA and other state and federal funding sources, will generate significant construction, installation, maintenance, and repair activity in Illinois. Historically, these investments have not benefited underserved populations and communities. The Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program and the Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program are two of several programs created by CEJA to rectify these historical inequities. To create a qualified, diverse pipeline of workers prepared for careers in construction and building trades and clean energy jobs opportunities therein, the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program creates 3 regional Pre-apprenticeship Centers throughout the State that recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship skills training.

Type of assistance: Grant Award: $3,000,000 to $6,500,000 Total funding: $16000000.00 Cost sharing or matching: No Applications: 2026-09-22 to 2027-12-31 Apply: https://dceo.illinois.gov/aboutdceo/grantopportunities/3137-4342.html Source: Illinois's list of open state funding notices (GATA, omb.illinois.gov).

Eligible applicant types: Government Organizations; Education Organizations; Nonprofit Organizations; For-Profit Organizations; Small Businesses

Eligible organizations include entities that: 1. Provide employment, skill development, or related services to members of communities in the proposed regions; 2. Demonstrate relationships with local residents and other organizations serving the communities in the proposed regions; 3. Have a history of serving low-wage or low-skilled workers from economically disadvantaged communities within the proposed service regions; and 4. Demonstrate relationships with construction and building trade DOL-registered apprenticeship programs, industry contractors, and contractor associations. Eligible applicants must demonstrate their effectiveness in serving equity investment eligible persons, engaging construction and building trade apprenticeship programs, and have the ability to meet performance targets. Priority will be given to applicants that are a team of multiple partner organizations that collectively demonstrate the following: • The ability to effectively serve diverse and underrepresented populations, including by providing employment services to such populations; • Agreements with registered apprenticeship programs for direct matriculation of Preapprenticeship graduates. • An agreement with North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to utilize the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum or successor curriculums; • The ability to recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training to prepare workers for employment in the construction and building trades; • Capacity to provide supportive services, ongoing engagement during and beyond training, and job retention services to participating trainees; • Capacity to operate satellite training locations to increase accessibility to equity investment eligible persons throughout the service region(s).