Macomb-based CTE Center to Open Pathways to Manufacturing, Skilled Trades
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation this month that lets Illinois high school students take career and technical education courses instead of foreign language classes to graduate, a shift that could reshape how students prepare for jobs in manufacturing and the skilled trades.
The change, championed by the Illinois Manufacturers Association, opens a new door for area students who attend the future Career Technical Education (CTE) Center on Spoon River College's Macomb campus. The center will serve students from Macomb, Bushnell and Colchester school districts, plus adult learners in the region.
Macomb Community Unit School District No. 185 Superintendent Mark Twomey said the district will consider the new option for students who choose the CTE path, but with caution.
'We would not want a student to change their mind later during their high school career and not have the necessary foreign language requirement for college admission,' Twomey said. 'This is something we would consider, but only after a good deal of education takes place with those students.'
