JTED: Critical Workforce Funding that Must be Extended
By Izzy Grisoli
One of CJC’s top policy priorities for 2026 is advocating for the continued funding of Illinois’ Job Training and Economic Development (JTED) program. JTED is one of the state’s most effective tools for helping people facing economic barriers move into stable, well-paying jobs. For the past few years, JTED has been funded using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, but those funds will run out after 2026. Illinois must continue this essential funding in order to meet the state’s current and future economic needs. As the federal government plans to cut funding to workforce programs, extending state funding for JTED is essential in protecting access to opportunities for workers and communities who are left behind.
JTED serves jobseekers and communities that are excluded from economic opportunities. Grants prioritize low-income individuals, underrepresented individuals, and communities who have long been disproportionately impacted by poverty and disinvestment. JTED grants can be used to pay for flexible barrier reduction services to help participants cover essentials like housing, transportation and childcare. This allows jobseekers to meet their basic needs, which is proven to increase job training participation and completion. The flexibility of JTED grants compliments other workforce funding in ways that make them more accessible to people with barriers to employment, thereby increasing equitable outcomes. JTED recognizes that workforce participation depends on stability, not just skills.
JTED invests in workforce models that work, such as occupational skills training and work-based learning, which have been shown to increase the lifetime earnings of participants. A 2006 evaluation of JTED found that participants experienced a 33% increase in employment and a 40 percent increase in earnings. Four years after completing the program, graduates were earning an average of $3,200 more per year than a comparison group.
The results speak for themselves. JTED is a highly successful program and continuing its funding is essential for job seekers throughout Illinois. JTED funds programs serving communities across the state, from Chicagoland, Rockford, and Decatur to rural communities like Greenup, Litchfield, Marion, Lebanon, and many others. Cuts to JTED funding will have impacts that will be felt statewide and it is critical Illinois does not let JTED funding run out.
Unlike other workforce development funding sources such as WIOA or SNAP Employment and Training, JTED operates outside of federal control and is protected from sudden federal budget cuts or shifting national policy priorities. This flexibility is especially important as the current administration moves to slash federal workforce funding while expanding SNAP and Medicaid work requirements. State investment in workforce development is essential to counter these pressures and JTED plays a central role in that response. As a pro-worker state, Illinois must act to support workers and communities at this pivotal moment. Extending JTED funding is a practical, proven way for Illinois to support workers, strengthen communities and prepare for economic uncertainty.
What you can do:
Contact your state legislators and urge them to continue funding JTED
Share with your network the importance of JTED