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Community Colleges & Degree Pathways

Illinois community colleges offer associate degrees, certificates, and career-focused programs that typically take two years or less to complete.

• Illinois Community College Board (ICCB)
  https://www.iccb.org
  
  

• Find an Illinois Community College
  https://www.iccb.org/colleges
  
  

• Illinois Articulation Initiative (Transfer Pathways)
  https://www.itransfer.org 

Certificates & Short-Term Training Programs

Certificate programs focus on job-ready skills and can often be completed in months rather than years.

• Illinois Training Providers List (ETPL)
  Training & Credentials 

• CareerOneStop – Training Finder
  https://www.careeronestop.org/FindTraining

• Illinois WorkNet – Training & Credentials
  https://www.illinoisworknet.com
  
  

Career & Technical Education (CTE)

CTE programs combine classroom instruction with hands-on learning in high-demand career fields.

• Illinois Career & Technical Education (ISBE)
  https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Career-Technical-Education.aspx
  
  

Apprenticeships & Paid Learning

Apprenticeships allow students to earn wages while gaining industry-recognized skills.

• Apprenticeship Illinois
  https://www.apprenticeshipillinois.com
  
  

• U.S. Department of Labor – Apprenticeship Finder
  https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder
  
  

• Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative
  https://www.illinoisworksjobs.com
  
  

Workforce & Job Training Programs

State workforce programs support career training, job placement, and career transitions.

• Illinois WorkNet
  https://www.illinoisworknet.com
  
  

• Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)
  https://www.illinoisworknet.com/WIOA
  
  

• Local Workforce Area Finder (Illinois)
  Network & Connect 

Adult Education & GED Options

For students and adults completing high school equivalency or building foundational skills.

• Illinois Adult Education Services (ICCB)
  Training & Credentials 

• GED® Testing Service – Illinois
  https://ged.com
  
  

Paying for Education & Training

Financial aid and grants can help reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket costs.

• Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC)
  https://www.isac.org
  
  

• FAFSA – Federal Student Aid
  https://studentaid.gov
  
  

Planning & Comparison Tools

Use these tools to compare programs, costs, and career outcomes.

• College Navigator (Certificates & Community Colleges)
  https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
  
  

• O*NET Online – Education & Training Requirements
  https://www.onetonline.org