We can’t afford to wait. We are in a global war for talent. Illinois currently has 30,000 more entry-level job postings for tech workers than there are related graduates. That’s compounded by an exodus from the state each year of almost half of college-bound high schoolers and more than 20,000 millennial workers.
We need a technology magnet that makes it attractive for young talent to stay — and we need to make it easier for companies to locate their high-tech, high-paying jobs here.
By 2029, DPI expects to contribute significant economic impact to the region, including:
DPI will focus on two kinds of programs. First, workforce development for in-demand tech jobs. We’ll develop promising and diverse talent, focusing on high school through to the first job out of college. We’ll also train current workers for advanced jobs in data and analytics.
Second, we’ll build applied R&D clusters, funded by corporations, the federal government, and foundations, to solve problems. We’ll play matchmaker and organizer, building faculty teams and pairing their expertise with funders’ needs
Our region’s best and brightest students, workers who want to improve their skills, and top researchers from around the world. Industry will have easy access to talent, both students and faculty, while faculty will get more funding and establish powerful connections with peers worldwide. DPI will accelerate promising students’ careers and make Chicago an appealing destination for them.
Yes. DPI will initially focus on our economy’s existing strengths: data analytics and computing, and their applications in food and agriculture; health and wellness; finance and insurance; and transportation/logistics. All of these industries have a strong Fortune 500 presence in the state.
DPI is one of 15 hubs in the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN); there is an IIN hub in every city in Illinois with a public university presence, and five in the Chicagoland region. IIN hubs will utilize university assets to attack some of the state’s key issues through research, education, and outreach programs.
$235 million is for DPI and $265 million is for the other IIN institutions. All of this funding is for capital projects, so it will be spent on building and expanding new facilities at each hub.
