Live job listings from union halls, defense primes, and skilled-trade employers in your state.
mikeroweWORKS Foundation and partner programs offer scholarships designed specifically for skilled-trade training.
Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one — average 4-year programs end in journey-level wages.
Each of these trades is in heavy demand right now. Each one is essential to America’s defense industrial base. Pick the one that fits the way you want to spend your days.
Installs and maintains electrical wiring, equipment and fixtures
Pay Range: $40K – $110K
Job Growth: +11%
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Joins metal parts using heat for industrial, structural and pipeline work.
Pay Range: $33K – $75K
Job Growth: +4%
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Operates computer-controlled machines to fabricate precision parts.
Pay Range: $34K – $75K
Job Growth: +5%
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Lays out, assembles and maintains high-pressure piping systems.
Pay Range: $32K – $72K
Job Growth: +6%
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Installs and services heating, ventilation and cooling systems.
Pay Range: $36K – $84K
Job Growth: +6%
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Repairs and maintains plant machinery and production equipment.
Pay Range: $38K – $108K
Job Growth: +8%
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Operates cranes, excavators and dozers on construction sites.
Pay Range: $36K – $80K
Job Growth: +5%
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Maintains specialized systems for defense and aerospace contractors.
Pay Range: $42K – $110K
Job Growth: +8%
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Search live openings from employers and union halls in your area.
In-state programs vetted for skilled-trade and apprenticeship pathways.
Glen Ellyn, IL
Mechatronics and industrial-maintenance degrees with advanced-manufacturing labs.
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Chicago, IL
Welding and manufacturing programs at CCC's advanced-manufacturing hub.
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Joliet, IL
Precision-machining and CNC programs at the nation's oldest community college.
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Palatine, IL
Electronics, mechatronics and registered manufacturing apprenticeships.
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Palos Hills, IL
HVAC-R and skilled-trades certificates with strong employer placement.
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Chicago, IL
Earn-while-you-learn electrical apprenticeship sponsored by IBEW Local 134.
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Active across all major trades, 2024
Through 2034 (Illinois IDES)
Across in-demand trade roles statewide
Active IL programs (IDOL / DOL)
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state-level OES; Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) projections; Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) / U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship database.
Illinois's highest-demand skilled-trade roles include electricians, pipefitters, welders, CNC machinists, and industrial maintenance technicians — driven by weapons manufacturing at the Rock Island Arsenal, defense logistics at Scott Air Force Base, heavy-equipment production at Caterpillar, and the dense advanced-manufacturing base across Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria.
A standard Illinois electrician apprenticeship runs about four to five years of paid on-the-job training paired with classroom hours, often through an IBEW/NECA joint program. Apprentices earn a percentage of journey wage that scales each year, and the program leads to a journeyman credential.
City Colleges of Chicago (Daley College), the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, and Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville all offer accredited welding certificate and degree tracks.
Yes. The mikeroweWORKS Foundation, the Illinois MAP Grant, and the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship program all provide funding available to Illinois residents enrolled in skilled-trade training. See the Scholarships section for current programs and deadlines.
Our mission is simple: build the workforce that builds and defends America. Our national and economic security depends on it. We will help power our nation’s defense industrial base and revive the skilled trades. We will be connecting the next generation of builders – the welders, machinists, mechanics, electricians, technicians and more – to high-wage, big-impact jobs. You can help us build freedom for generations to come.
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In partnership with mikeroweWORKS Foundation, National Labor Exchange and the Department of War.