Illinois is going to need a whole lot more workers to realize its clean energy aspirations.

The state has some of the nation’s most ambitious climate laws, with a target of transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2050. In 2030 — just five years from now — it aims to achieve 40% renewable energy.

The shift away from fossil fuels could create more than 150,000 jobs in Illinois by mid-century, according to a 2022 study commissioned by ComEd, the state’s largest utility.

Since 2012, ComEd has offered a suite of what it calls ​“Academy” training programs that are helping to meet that need, preparing a diverse pool of more than 1,000 residents from in and around Chicago for entry-level positions in the construction, utility, and clean energy fields.

“We are delivering clean energy 24/7, 365 [days a year] — reliable power to 9 million people across Northern Illinois,” Laticia Holbert, senior workforce development manager for ComEd, told Canary Media. ​“And so it’s our duty to make sure that we are working with our communities to get a talent pipeline. We are proud of the legacy that we have done throughout our training programs, and we continue to expand.”

The goal of the programs is two-fold — not only to increase the size of the workforce but also to provide employment opportunities for members of environmental justice communities, who for decades have borne the brunt of adverse effects from fossil-fuel extraction. Training programs aimed at these groups, advocates point out, help to ensure that the clean energy transition does not perpetuate the injustices of the fossil-fuel economy.

“We are partnering with the community to make sure that we’re bringing in a diverse talent pipeline, by delivering targeted programs to ensure that more local residents are prepared for, I like to say, good-paying jobs [with] family-sustaining wages,” Holbert said. ​“We know that is really critical for our communities. We know, with the current climate [and] how clean energy is really revolutionizing, how we need to look at the demand for jobs.”

In mid-April, ComEd and a coalition of companies, labor organizations, and community groups celebrated 73 new graduates from two of the utility’s job training programs, Construct Infrastructure Academy and Craft Academy, at the University of Illinois Chicago Forum. U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D) spoke at the event, as did the CEO of ComEd and representatives of the company United Scrap Metal and the nonprofit Chicago Urban League.

Britney Evans, a 2025 graduate of ComEd’s Construct program who spoke at the ceremony, said that the training she received sets her up to succeed in the trades.

“From the build day to the job shadows and coursework, the Construct program gave me the boost I needed to build my professional network, be challenged, and find new opportunities,” Evans said. ​“It really helped me understand the daily realities and benefits of the construction industry, and now my classmates and I will be able to break through all the glass ceilings and advance further in our lives and careers.”

Another of ComEd’s Academy training programs, which was not represented at the event, is the Power Up Academy, which provides participants the opportunity to earn design and engineering industry-required certifications for careers related to the clean energy sector. Launched in 2023 in partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago, the 14-week Power Up Academy program is designed to remove barriers to entry for local residents pursuing engineering-related careers. The program attained accreditation in 2024, enabling past and future participants to qualify for up to 13 credit hours toward future degree programs.

Each of ComEd’s three programs provides training at no charge to participants, along with a stipend during the program and ongoing career guidance and financial support after completion, Holbert said.

Approximately 70% of graduates across all of ComEd’s training programs land in entry-level positions with the utility or its more than 40 partner employers, taking on roles such as project coordinators, construction workers, lineworkers, design technicians, and underground locators, who help identify where infrastructure is buried.

Historically, more than 95% of program participants have been people of color, and 25% have been women. This year’s class of graduates is comprised of more than 90% people of color and nearly 20% women, according to ComEd.

Participants must be at least 18 years old, have earned either a high school diploma or GED certificate, demonstrate 10^th-grade-level math and reading skills, and hold a valid driver’s license, Holbert said.

ComEd also requires potential students to complete an admissions interview along with a drug test and background check. However, individuals with past drug use or who were formerly incarcerated are not automatically disqualified. Consideration is made on a case-by-case basis, Holbert said.

“So, for returning citizens, we welcome them in the program,” Holbert said.

Of the 73 participants who graduated in April, 64 had taken part in the Construct Infrastructure Academy. During the 11-week program, participants learned basic construction skills and earned industry certifications such as a commercial driver’s license and Occupational Safety and Health Administration training. They also learned about installing heat pumps, induction stoves, and solar panels.

Participants also had the opportunity to shadow and learn from industry partners. For instance, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Chicago, this year’s Construct students helped build homes across Chicagoland’s South and Southwest Sides as part of their training curriculum. During a recent Habitat for Humanity Chicago Build Day, they tiled bathrooms, hung kitchen cabinets, added trim and molding, and painted walls. The project allowed participants to apply their newfound knowledge on safety techniques, handling basic hand tools, and working as a team.

Meanwhile, the nine Craft Academy graduates completed a physically demanding six-week training program that requires utility-pole climbing, a prerequisite experience for an apprenticeship to become an overhead lineworker. Overhead lineworkers play a critical role in maintaining and modernizing the power grid. That task is essential for meeting rising electricity demands as people purchase more EVs and electrify their homes and businesses. These graduates are now eligible for scholarships to the Dawson Technical Institute Overhead Electrical Line Worker program of the City Colleges of Chicago, which will enable them to pursue careers in the electric utility industry.

“We are honored to have joined forces with ComEd over the last 13 years in connecting members of our communities to training opportunities that can change the trajectory of their lives,” said Chicago Urban League CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson during the graduation ceremony. ​“The Construct and Craft programs represent a gateway to lucrative jobs that can provide the chance to build lasting careers and generational wealth.”

ComEd uses money from its own budget to run the training programs, Holbert said. No federal funds are involved.

“I don’t think [the present political climate] has any impact at all because we have to hire people to work on our grid, our system,” she said. ​“So we need talented people. That’s just what our mission is. So nothing’s changed about how we’re doing and what we’re doing.”