Letters: Climate job training shows what we can accomplish at the state level
Even in today's extremely challenging times, there are places in Illinois where environmental justice is happening, as was beautifully told in the June 23 front-page article 'Clean energy job training offers hope: 'It's changed my life'' by Nara Schoenberg.
Due to the game-changing law passed in 2021, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act workforce hub training classes are currently graduating many Black and brown students who are going on to well-paid clean-energy jobs. It is proof that we all must continue to fight and advocate for environmental justice here in Chicago and throughout the state.
Due to the outrageous cuts to all clean energy work by the federal government, we must focus on what we can do at the local and state level. And sometimes, we just need to take a breath and look at what has already been accomplished and then keep working.The Tribune's recent article on clean-energy job training rightly highlights the need for stronger career pathways for underserved communities and the importance of preparing Illinois' workforce for a climate-friendly future. We're proud that labor is not only part of this critical transition but also helping lead it.
Illinois' landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) set a national example by tying climate action to economic justice, including the statewide network of workforce development programs that prioritize Black, Latino and other equity-eligible communities historically left out of energy careers.
Crucially, it was Illinois' labor movement that helped secure landmark labor provisions in CEJA — including requirements for prevailing wages, project labor agreements and high-road labor standards for utility-scale projects — ensuring clean energy jobs are good jobs. These standards raise the bar for equity, quality and safety across the industry.
Climate Jobs Illinois, in partnership with HIRE360 and unions across the state, is investing in clean energy workforce programs that open doors for equity-eligible communities. Backed by CEJA, these programs are more than job training — they're launching pads for long-term, family-sustaining careers in solar, wind, electric vehicle infrastructure and energy efficiency.
Through the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, participants receive:
This is how Illinois makes a just transition real — by putting people to work in the communities that need it most, with the skills and protections to build and sustain the state's clean energy future.Regarding the June 27 Nation & World article 'Heat dome brings 'double whammy'': I never understand why politicians continue to ignore the facts when it comes to the health and well-being of American citizens. The evidence is overwhelming that links extreme heat and air pollution to climate change.
As the article states: 'Researchers are worried about the twin health hazards of extreme heat and pollution, which can amplify each other. As climate change drives up global temperatures past record levels, the frequency of days when it is both hot and polluted has also been increasing.'
As someone with respiratory issues, I live with this double whammy, and it's only gotten worse over the years as politicians ignore this fact. They pass energy policy that only worsens this impact.
As the article points out, 'the (Donald) Trump administration is moving to weaken limits on emissions from power plants and cars, which could increase carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and other pollutants. It is also encouraging more mining and burning of coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels.'
The article also states: 'The World Health Organization estimates that outdoor and indoor air pollution combined cause 6.7 million premature deaths a year.' And: 'A 2023 analysis of more than 20 million deaths around the world found that hot days and days with bad air quality both resulted in higher-than-normal mortality rates. But periods in which heat and pollution are combined were even deadlier.'
Don't Republican politicians care about people's health?
Ironically, I recently sat in on a webinar given by a leading energy professor and scientist on the state of renewable energy, highlighting that we have the technology and know-how to reverse course on this double whammy. Unfortunately, it's apparent we don't have the will or desire to take appropriate action.
As a result, I'll be forced to spend more time indoors this summer and future summers, suffering the consequences of these politicians' apathy toward human health.Two recent Tribune pieces — an article highlighting Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates' call to prioritize district contracts ('CTU president rebukes Trump administration, urges district to prioritize union contract,' June 24) and an op-ed co-written by CTU Vice President Jackson Potter advocating for increased funding for public education and transit ('Public education and transit benefit Chicagoans but aren't being fully funded,' June 24) — raise critical issues but miss the mark on solutions.
Both suggest massive new spending, funded by higher taxes on Chicago and Illinois residents. While I agree that our public schools and transit system need significant improvements, I strongly disagree that more taxes are the answer.
Chicago Public Schools already has sufficient funds to support its shrinking student population. With 47 schools operating at less than one-third capacity, consolidation could free up resources to enhance remaining schools, rather than burdening taxpayers further.
Similarly, our transit system — the CTA, Pace and Metra — needs an overhaul, but not through costly projects like the $1 billion-per-mile Red Line expansion. Instead, merging these agencies into a single, efficient unit with unified fares and coordinated schedules could cut administrative costs and improve service.
Chicago and Illinois don't have a taxing problem; we have a spending problem. Let's prioritize efficiency and innovation over endless tax hikes.The CTA appears to be on life support and needs a new president who has extensive experience running mass transit systems, someone who actually rides the trains and buses, unlike the recently departed Dorval Carter Jr. and current members of the CTA board. The mayor claimed his administration conducted a national search for a CTA president but apparently didn't do that, according to the Tribune's June 20 edition ('Records show mayor didn't conduct formal national search for CTA head').
The mayor could install one of his cronies who has no experience in running a large transit agency like the CTA. That would be a big mistake at a time when the CTA needs solid, experienced leadership.When I decided to study prelaw at the University of Illinois at Springfield, I knew the LSAT and, later, the bar exam would be serious hurdles.
What I didn't expect was the cost of preparing for them. Quality LSAT prep courses can cost well over $1,000. That's not within reach for aspiring professionals.
Thanks to the Prepare for Illinois' Future initiative, I didn't have to make that financial trade-off. This state-funded program gave me access to one of the top LSAT prep resources from Kaplan at no cost. The weekly classes, personalized feedback on practice exams and live tutor support helped me stay on track while working a part-time job. I was able to target the areas where I needed the most improvement, boosting both my score and my confidence.
Improving my LSAT score isn't only about getting into my top-choice law school; it also positions me for scholarships that make that path financially viable.
But this program was never just about one student or one test. It was about access. It was about removing financial barriers that hold back aspiring professionals from advancing in law, health care, education and other critical fields.
That's why I'm disappointed to hear that the program hasn't been included in the next state budget. I urge lawmakers to reconsider. The value here isn't just academic — it's economic. Programs like this unlock talent that might otherwise go unrealized.
Cost shouldn't decide who gets to pursue professional success in Illinois. Not now. Not ever.
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