Construction Apprenticeship

Get details on our training initiatives, including the Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP) and Transportation Construction Apprenticeship Readiness Training (TCART).

TCART is a collaborative effort among Chicago-area community based organizations, the Apprenticeship Skill and Improvement Program Local 150, and the Chicagoland Laborers District Council Trainers and Apprenticeship Fund to assure the increased participation of minority groups, disadvantaged persons, and females in all phases of the highway construction industry. As we strive to transform this program offers talented individuals an opportunity to be trained on emerging trends in transportation. The program also encompasses IDOT’s human capital vision for a multi-modal transportation program to fully incorporate human capital factors that support IDOT's project goals, all while empowering individuals to realize their own potential in union-based training settings. Through this program, IDOT hopes to provide knowledge and hands-on training in transportation and highway construction trades. The program also offers job referral and intermodal placement assistance services to successful graduates in the highway construction trades, and labor apprenticeship programs, or in highway, railroad, transit, or airport construction.

Check out the program flyer for more details and download the application to apply.

IDOT has established the HCCTP to increase the total number and relative percentages of historically underutilized individuals working on IDOT highway construction projects. IDOT's college partnerships help provide highway construction industry trade and life skills training to minorities, women, and disadvantaged individuals. In addition, the program assists with the placement of trained graduates into Illinois highway construction trade unions, apprenticeship programs, or with IDOT construction contractors.

In collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration and community colleges statewide, IDOT’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program (HCCTP) provides training and skill improvement opportunities that assure the increased participation of minority groups, disadvantaged persons and women in all phases of the highway construction industry.

IDOT strongly encourages contractors and their approved sub-contractors to hire minority, women and disadvantaged individuals from the HCCTP to help meet workforce and trainee goals. Graduates are well-trained and ready to become productive entry-level construction workers, or even potential DBEs.

Each community college holds one to five training sessions per year. Individuals receive intensive training in highway construction-related skills, such as mathematics for the trades, job site readiness, carpentry, concrete flatwork, blueprint reading orientation, first aid/AED/CPR, introduction to tools, forklift operation, OSHA 10 certification, and more.

Each community college helps its graduates obtain placement in Illinois’ highway construction trade unions, apprenticeship programs, and/or with IDOT highway construction contractors. IDOT and the participating community colleges do not guarantee employment upon a trainees’ graduation from HCCTP. Learn more about the program.

Due to COVID 19, the current training sessions have been extended.

*This report does not reflect participants of the SWIC program prior to June 1, 2011.

Contact the designated coordinator at a participating community college below to learn more about the program.

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