Manufacturing is a cornerstone of the Illinois economy. The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) publishes a biannual economic analysis report titled “Manufacturing Matters: Our Impact in Illinois” that summarizes its economic analysis of the impact of the manufacturing industry on Illinois and its communities. IMA’s economic analyses demonstrate that the labor market remains tight, and manufacturers continue to report large numbers of open positions. As of June 2021, the manufacturing industry had more than 800,000 unfilled positions nationally.
The IMA and EdSystems partnered in spring 2022 to launch the Scaling Transformative Advanced Manufacturing Pathways (STAMP) to help meet the demand for skilled manufacturing workers in Illinois while advancing equity.
The overarching goals of STAMP are to:
- Increase secondary enrollment in manufacturing pathways, particularly by underrepresented students.
- Increase dual credit offerings and enrollment in manufacturing pathways.
- Increase the number of students who complete a manufacturing pathway, earning a College and Career Pathway Endorsement (CCPE) and industry credentials.
- Increase matriculation into postsecondary manufacturing programs and the workforce.
Our Role
Through a community of practice and technical assistance to regional teams, STAMP serves secondary students enrolled in manufacturing pathways that articulate to community college programs and employment opportunities, focusing on under-represented students with one or more barriers to education, training, and employment.
EdSystems is supporting STAMP regional teams, which are made up of school districts together with their postsecondary and employer partners, to:
- Establish a manufacturing pathway aligned to the Illinois Model Programs of Study Guide in Manufacturing and Engineering and the College and Career Pathway Endorsement.
- Incorporate both in-person and virtual work-based learning into manufacturing pathways.
- Target engagement and recruitment efforts to underrepresented student populations in manufacturing and face barriers to training and employment, including females and students of color.
Additionally, EdSystems is designing a data infrastructure that leverages both state- and local-level data to analyze the college and career pathways-related outcomes of manufacturing pathway students in participating STAMP communities.
The structure and supports provided through STAMP will accelerate and expand manufacturing pathways across Illinois and establish a foundation for broader scaling in future years.
Project Resources
- Download the STAMP Overview
