Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday announced state funding of $32 million for the construction of a new transportation-related education center at the City Colleges of Chicago’s Olive-Harvey campus.
Quinn joined with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and City Colleges chancellor Chery Hyman to announce the new $43 million transportation, distribution and logistics center. The college system will fund the remaining costs under its capital program.
Officials said the facility is the first TDL education center in the state, preparing students for in-demand careers in ground, air and rail transport, multi-modal distribution and logistics.
”We’ll put people to work building this new facility, and we’ll empower students with state-of-the-art tools and training they need to go out and get these good-paying, high-tech jobs,” Quinn said.
Construction is expected to start next year and should be completed in 2015. The state is providing the funding through its ongoing $31 billion partially bond-financed public works program.
The City Colleges recently announced a $479 million, five-year capital program that relies on $274 million of future borrowing to fund projects at all seven of the system’s facilities. The new Malcolm X campus will house the system’s College to Careers programs in allied health. The system is overhauling its educational program to better prepare students to find jobs in industries experiencing growth, such as health care, transportation and high-tech manufacturing.
