Aurora’s First Clean Energy Graduates Walk as Mayor Laesch Chokes Up: ‘You Guys Are a Big Deal'

Aurora Mayor John Laesch choked up as he watched 16 students walk across a stage inside a dusty, airless building on South River Street. He knew exactly why they mattered. He had been where they were. Not as a graduate. As a carpenter who lost his job in 2009 the same month a massive energy bill arrived.

"I knew something about making a house more energy-efficient," Laesch said. "I started to figure it out on my own."

That personal crisis set Laesch on a path that eventually led him to city hall. Now, in his first year in office, he is watching the first class of graduates leave the CEJA Workforce Development Hub, a state-funded green jobs training center that finally opened its doors in Aurora earlier this year.

From Empty Water Building to Green Jobs Hub

The hub sits at 649 S. River St., in a former city water and sewer facility. The city shifted those operations to a new Public Works building on Liberty Street and began leasing the empty space to two training partners: the College of DuPage and the 548 Foundation.

The Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, signed into law in 2021, designated Aurora as one of 13 statewide locations for a workforce development hub. It took about five years to secure a physical location. The center was unveiled at a launch party in January.

The 548 Foundation’s program trains students in construction and solar power systems. Graduates leave with industry-recognized credentials, including:

• An OSHA-30 Construction Certification
• A National Center for Construction Education and Research Core Construction Certification
• A CPR/First Aid Certification

Graduates are set up to become first-year apprentices with the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, according to a city press release.

‘Earn While You Learn’

Students in the 548 Foundation program receive $500 weekly stipends during their training, founder AJ Patton said. The model is designed so students do not have to choose between paying bills and getting skills.

"The marketplace will be better with you in, and I could not be more excited for you and your growth," Patton told the graduates during Friday’s ceremony.

Fifteen of the 16 graduates attended the ceremony on May 29. Each was called by name to receive a certificate and shake hands with elected officials and 548 Foundation leadership.

A Congressman’s Warning About AI — And Why These Students Are Safe

U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, spoke at the ceremony. He said he has attended many graduation events where students worry about student loan debt and whether artificial intelligence will take their jobs.

"There’s a lot of reasons to be proud and confident about the path you’ve chosen here," Foster said. "It’s not happening to people going into the building trades, and going into sustainable energy and energy-efficiency improvements."

Mayor Laesch’s Personal Stake

Sustainability and living-wage job creation were central to Laesch’s campaign platform last year. The 548 Foundation credited Laesch as a key reason the organization came to Aurora when it did, according to Patton.

Patton said he has never seen a mayor more involved or engaged. At the end of the ceremony, the organization presented Laesch with a certificate for his efforts.

Laesch acknowledged the training facility still needs work. He said the city is working to create air-conditioned spaces and bring in additional companies to train students on their equipment.

"It was so cool that this first class of students was able to accept our dust and a little less than glamorous conditions to make it through the course," Laesch said.

What Comes Next

Laesch said he is working to create jobs for the new graduates. He specifically mentioned a proposed solar project on city-owned land.

"There will be jobs for these students," Patton said. "There will be opportunities for these students in the coming weeks that we will announce."

The CEJA Workforce Development Hub is designed to be a springboard for innovative green job training, equipping Aurora residents with the opportunity to work living-wage jobs and invest in a green future, according to the city news release.