The modern manufacturing landscape is undergoing a rapid and profound transformation. It’s a space where global trade, cutting-edge technology, and the cultivation of human talent intersect to define economic success.
This was at the core of conversation at the recent Lake County Regional Manufacturing Roundtable, hosted by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association at the College of Lake County’s state-of-the-art Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee.
“Our goal was to bring together industry leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders to underscore a clear message: manufacturing growth cannot be achieved through isolated effort,” noted Sarah Hardwick, the Senior Vice President & Corporate Board Secretary at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “In Illinois, we are fortunate to have a deeply connected, collaborative ecosystem that builds talent from the ground up to fuel manufacturing growth.”
Fortunately, there is no shortage of collaboration in Lake County. The community is a model of a coordinated approach, and strategic efforts have positioned Lake County and the state of Illinois as global leaders in advanced manufacturing and a proving ground for innovative talent development.
The Global Strategy: Positioning Illinois as a Premier Business Destination
The conversation kicked off by highlighting the aggressive and successful approach Illinois has taken to secure its place on the international business map, with input from Christy George, the CEO and president of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (EDC), and Kristin Richards, the Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Illinois has been very active in trade missions to target manufacturing leaders worldwide. This is more than mere outreach; it is a dedicated effort to showcase the state’s assets and commitment, effectively positioning Illinois as a global business destination. The purpose of these trade missions is two-fold: to strengthen overseas ties and to attract business back to the state. These trips are invaluable, offering foreign countries an opportunity to benchmark the state and to witness Illinois’ willingness to work with business leaders.
This global ambition is fueled by a powerful, united front known as “Team Illinois.” This collaborative umbrella includes key agencies such as Illinois EDC, the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC), and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), working hand-in-hand with local partners like Lake County Partners (LCP) and various local governments.
A recurring theme of the panel discussions was the sheer preparedness of the state to support companies at every level, particularly as they seek to maximize their export potential. Richards noted that the state has been actively enhancing Illinois’ incentive programs, including EDGE and Rev; this year, Illinois also introduced a new program called Advanced Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) to focus on capital improvement investments.
Beyond incentives, policy and outreach, the state possesses a foundational strength that few can rival: its people. Illinois’ talent and workforce development strength are game changers when it comes to attracting business. This human capital advantage is what truly sets the state apart and forms the basis for its ongoing economic expansion.
These assets have been the cornerstone of business attraction efforts from the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership (GCEP), led by Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners. “The GCEP partnership has had a major, visible impact on both business attraction and retention, proving that targeted, regional collaboration yields significant returns. Lake County, in particular, is setting the pace for the region and the state. We are celebrating our best year on record, having fueled $1.8 billion in direct capital investment, 4,000+ new jobs, 2,700+ retained jobs, and counting. Much of that has come directly from manufacturing growth,” Considine remarked.
Forging the Future: Building the Workforce Pipeline
The bedrock of any successful manufacturing ecosystem is a robust and renewable supply of skilled talent. The next roundtable discussion—featuring remarks from Jim Connell, the Executive Director of Community Programs at the College of Lake County, Gina Schuyler, the CTE Department Chair for Careers and Community Partnerships at Grayslake D127, and Jennifer Serino, the Director of Lake County Workforce Development—made it clear that career pathway programs are more important than ever in helping to shape the next generation workforce.
This is not a passive effort; it involves active engagement from education, government, and industry. The effort to develop talent, and help businesses tap into it, cannot be done alone. It is a complex process that demands outreach, resource aggregation, an understanding of how to leverage and promote assets, and the ability to forge new ways of doing things.
Illinois has formalized its educational commitment to manufacturing through innovative programming. For students in Illinois, the journey to a manufacturing career is structured: after identifying an interest and taking foundational courses, they can be endorsed in manufacturing through 7 different pathways.
From that foundation, students are connected with local businesses to explore valuable internships and careers. The educational experience is designed to be hands-on, ensuring students aren’t just sitting at desks—they are on equipment that can advance their learning. This practical approach is vital for ensuring graduates are job-ready, even at the high school level.
Lake County boasts several unique and highly successful initiatives designed to engage and educate the next generation:
- Navig8 Lake: This initiative provides a powerful, hands-on format where students can explore manufacturing with Lake County manufacturers. The growth of this event is staggering, now featuring over 140 companies and attracting the participation of 6,000+ students, with the goal of engaging 8,000 in the coming year. This scale demonstrates a massive regional commitment to early exposure and career exploration.
- SchoolLinks: Addressing the need for streamlined employer-educator interaction, SchoolLinks gives employers the opportunity to onboard in one system. This collaborative platform ensures educators come together to build the pipeline and help companies connect to it, minimizing friction for both students and employers.
- Lake County Manufacturing Alliance: This group, run through the College of Lake County, is instrumental in fostering peer learning and collective problem-solving, as it brings local manufacturers together so they can explore best practices and learn from one another.
Importantly, financial resources are also available to support business engagement. Lake County Workforce Development has access to a portfolio of federally-funded grant programs that businesses can tap into to cultivate talent, offering tangible support for internships and training programs.
The commitment to work-based learning relies on the idea that a high school student can be trained to meet the needs of the modern workplace. As such, it requires an individualized approach that can serve as a long-term interview process—a model that provides clarity and confidence for both the employer and the student, with minimal upfront investment.
The state of Illinois has recognized the profound value of structured, on-the-job training, making a substantial investment in apprenticeship and establishing itself as a leader in this area. It operates on a robust “work, earn and learn” model.
To encourage participation, grants help employers co-develop and register apprenticeship programs, effectively lowering the barrier for entry and increasing the number of formalized training opportunities available. Lake County Workforce Development works with employers on paid internships, onboarding and training programs, and leverages labor data to build the talent pipeline through a different lens, ensuring that training aligns with modern industry needs.
Marketing is also playing a strategic role in this ecosystem. Campaigns like Made in Illinois, spearheaded by the Illinois Manufacturers Association, have been instrumental in promoting the state and cultivating an interest in manufacturing careers with young people. This effort is about changing perceptions and highlighting the high-tech, high-skill nature of modern manufacturing jobs.
Reaching students even earlier is the goal of programs like Sparkforce, which can pay for manufacturing camps to give middle school students exposure in a fun way. Last summer, the success was clear with four summer camps being held, with more expected to come—ensuring the manufacturing career conversation starts well before high school.
Panel Insights: The Crucial Role of Partnership and Essential Skills
The panel discussion inevitably turned to the future, specifically focusing on the anticipated impact of emerging technology and artificial intelligence. Demonstrating a proactive stance, Lake County Workforce Development will soon be contracting with a consultant to better understand the impact of AI, and equally important, to better understand which corresponding security measures will be needed as it plays out in real time.
The collective wisdom of the roundtable led to several crucial takeaways that define the path forward:
- Workplace Essential Skills are Crucial: Technical skills are foundational, but workplace essential skills—including professional conduct, problem-solving, and critical thinking—are equally crucial in keeping young people engaged and advancing in the workforce.
- Communication is Key: For young people who have grown up in a digital world, communication will be critical. Ensuring they can effectively articulate ideas, collaborate, and manage professional relationships is paramount for success.
- Shared Responsibility is a Must: Everyone needs to play a role in workforce development if it’s going to be successful in a community. This message reinforces the collaborative spirit of Team Illinois and GCEP.
- The Ecosystem is the Magic: Ultimately, success stems from synergistic connections. Lake County’s workforce ecosystem is where the magic is—everyone brings value, and the partnerships keeps stakeholders, efforts and resources aligned.
The Lake County Regional Roundtable made it abundantly clear that the future of manufacturing in Illinois is bright, not by accident, but by design. It is a future built on aggressive global outreach, deep investment in human capital, and a powerful, interconnected ecosystem of government, education, and industry partners who are all aligned behind one goal: Powering Progress through strategy and investment that deliver.