As manufacturing jobs opportunities in Lake County continue to grow, Mundelein High School aims to prepare its students by expanding its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

There is a significant opportunity to secure jobs in skilled trades immediately after graduation. But the lack of a modern career-tech education program leaves many students unaware of these pathways. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 150 claims to receive most of its workers from MHS, but typically not until two years after graduation. The delay is a result of the lack of exposure to trade careers while in high school.

Plans to expand the manufacturing education space includes windows in CTE classrooms allowing passing students to get a glimpse of the opportunities these programs offer.

"We want to create pathways for students that lead directly from high school to careers," said Dr. Anthony Kroll, Assistant Superintendent of Specialized Programs. "No graduate should waste two years after high school looking aimlessly for a career when they could have learned about it in high school."

The school does not offer programs in these critical areas mostly because it does not have the space needed to support them. Former CTE spaces were redeveloped to meet other needs, and programs once known as “shop class” were discontinued.

MHS wasn’t always lacking a robust trades education. At one time, MHS was ahead of the curve, boasting a program where students even built airplanes. Currently, it ranks last among its Lake County counterparts in preparing students for these specialized fields of work.

Today, the potential for job growth in building trades and manufacturing is substantial. These fields represent a massive segment of the job market that remains underserved in the current curriculum.

In Lake County, one in seven jobs is tied to manufacturing. Projections for the next decade indicate explosive growth in trades and manufacturing jobs. According to the Brookings Institute, the number of construction jobs in northeast Illinois is expected to grow by nearly 120 percent from 2020 to 2030. Similarly, jobs for metal machinists are projected to grow by more than 90 percent during the same period.

An expanded CTE curriculum will align with local workforce needs, creating direct links between classroom learning and real-world careers, directly benefiting both graduates and the local economy.

Local businesses are eager to fill these positions. Larsen Manufacturing in Mundelein has consistently reached out to MHS looking for students who are prepared to enter the workforce directly after graduation. The company emphasizes the importance of having a pipeline of skilled workers and supports initiatives that introduce high school students to careers in manufacturing early on.

“Manufacturers are the number one industry that will reach out to our school to find students for their positions,” said Rich Stiles, CTE Department Chairman.

For MHS students, this represents an immediate opportunity to step into well-paying jobs without needing to first navigate unrelated or low-paying positions​. The only thing holding the school back from bringing back manufacturing and building trades education is the lack of space to house space for the machinery.

The District 120 School Board’s Long-Term Facilities Plan includes the expansion of the Career and Technical Education space. It is part of the building expansion and improvement plan that will be considered by voters on the Nov. 5 ballot.

More information about the referendum, including specific projects, benefits, tax impact, ballot language and voting details can be found at d120.org/2024-proposal.