Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Illinois employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $11.00 in Illinois. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Food Preparation Worker to Certified Food Manager
Food Preparation Worker Job Description:
- Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Certification – required by Illinois state law 30 days after hire
- Obtain Food Handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Complete 8 hours of mandatory course training
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55)
2.) Teacher Assistant to Elementary School Teacher
Teacher Assistant Job Description:
- Assist in the teaching of academic and social skills to students at any and all school levels
Entry Level Requirements:
- Associate’s degree OR 60 completed semester hours OR High School Diploma and achieve a score of 460+ on the ETS Parapro Exam ($45)
- Study materials for the ETS Parapro Exam are found here
Elementary School Teacher Job Description:
- Teach academic and social skills to students at the elementary school level
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Obtain Bachelor’s degree
- Complete state-approved teacher preparation programs at an accredited college or university
- Pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS): Test of Academic Proficiency exam (240+ score)and pass the ILTS: Elementary/Middle Grades exam (240+ score)
3.) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete a state-approved nursing program
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Become nationally certified by an accredited agency & become licensed in Illinois
- List of online nurse practitioner programs in Illinois found here
- Apply for license
Immigration in Illinois
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Illinois:
- Immigrants comprise 14% of the state population and 18% of the Illinois labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment:
- Manufacturing, 218,530 workers
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 158,663 workers
- Accommodation and Food Services, 125,897 workers
- Retail trade, 112,570 workers
- Administrative & Support, Waste Management & Remediation Service, 96,137 worker
- 137,907 immigrant business owners account for 23% of all self-employed Illinois residents
- 52% of immigrants in Illinois are naturalized and 22% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 36%
- India, 10%
- Poland, 7%
- The Philippines, 5%
- China, 4%
- 14% of native-born Illinoisans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Illinois:
- High School diploma or less– 49%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 18%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 33%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 26%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state