Illinois Governor Pritzker Establishes State Attainment Working Group to Set Postsecondary Education Goals Through 2040

Governor Signs Executive Order to Prepare Illinois Workforce for Future Jobs

Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2026-03 on March 13, 2026 to establish an Illinois State Attainment Working Group that will evaluate the state's workforce and training needs and set postsecondary education goals through 2040.

The working group will identify the degrees, certificates, workforce credentials, and support systems Illinoisans will need to meet future labor market demand, strengthen economic mobility, and support long-term economic growth across the state.

Companies from across the globe choose to do business in Illinois because of our strong workforce. Looking ahead, we must ensure our workforce has access to programs, training, and education that continue to prepare them for the jobs of the future, said Governor JB Pritzker.

Currently, nearly 60 percent of Illinois adults hold a high-quality postsecondary credential. The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce projects that within five years, more than 70 percent of jobs will require education or training beyond high school.

According to Lumina Foundation, the share of Illinois adults holding a postsecondary degree or credential has increased from 41 percent in 2008 to approximately 58 percent today.

Despite this progress, gaps in attainment persist across communities, highlighting the need to expand postsecondary attainment in ways that ensure equitable access to credentials of value.

This initiative builds on the work of the P-20 Council in 2009, which adopted a statewide postsecondary attainment goal that 60 percent of adults would hold a high-quality postsecondary credential by 2025.

To guide the state's continued progress, the Working Group will work with an external partner to conduct a comprehensive economic and labor market analysis projecting Illinois' workforce needs through 2040 and informing the state's next attainment goal.

The Working Group will also lead a robust stakeholder engagement process including regional meetings, focus groups, and interviews to get input from partners including local workforce boards, postsecondary institutions, economic development organizations, employers and industry leaders, labor unions, students, advocates, and community-based organizations to ensure broad representation and cross-sector alignment.

Illinois was recently ranked #1 in the Midwest for workforce development and #2 in the nation for corporate expansion for the fourth consecutive year by Site Selection Magazine.

Under Governor Pritzker's leadership, the state has expanded access to higher education while strengthening career pathways across industries. Illinois' public universities reached their highest enrollment in a decade in 2025, while the state's community college system the third largest in the United States has recorded four consecutive years of enrollment growth, expanding workforce training opportunities across Illinois.

At the same time, the Pritzker Administration has made higher education more affordable than ever, with 44 percent of in-state undergraduate students at Illinois public universities paying zero tuition and fees.

Developing a new attainment goal is aligned with the state's higher education strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois, and will help ensure we are giving all people of Illinois an opportunity at economic mobility and prosperity, said Ginger Ostro, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).

Every Illinois student deserves a clear path from high school to a meaningful career, said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders.

A new statewide attainment goal will help align partners across education, workforce, and government around shared objectives, ultimately driving credential attainment and expanding opportunities for Illinois residents, said Brian Durham, executive director of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB).

Talent is one of Illinois' greatest competitive advantages our ability to attract new investment is tied to the strength of our workforce, said Christy George, president and CEO of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC).

Setting a state goal for the proportion of a state's labor force with college degrees and other credentials of value can help drive economic prosperity, said Patrick Crane, Lumina Strategy Director for State Policy.