Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- In an effort to address a nationwide shortage of people entering the profession and attract young talent, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced a hiring initiative that will pay $15,000 of eligible student loan debt annually for up to 50 new civil engineers who graduated from Illinois schools. Payments will be capped at a total of $60,000 and begin once the engineer has worked at IDOT at least four years.
“Engineers at IDOT make a positive impact on the public every day,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “This program will reduce the financial burden for new engineers coming out of college and open the door to a meaningful career.”
The Higher Education Student Loan Repayment Assistance for Engineers Pilot Program will provide student loan repayment assistance in the form of an annual bonus after taxes of $15,000 a year for no more than four years. The program will be available for titles and areas with the greatest staffing needs.
To be eligible, the engineer must be hired by the department on or after July 1, 2024, and work at IDOT for four continuous years. Upcoming positions qualifying for the program will be identified in job postings.
For more information, please contact DOT.Recruitment@illinois.gov.
The result of legislation proposed by Senate Majority Caucus Whip Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), the program is one of several moves by IDOT to help address a downward trend in engineering graduates and make the agency more competitive in the job market. Last fall, the department teamed with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to start an Intern to Hire program designed to attract and retain top civil engineering talent by helping college interns transition to full-time employment at the agency upon graduation.
“Higher education is a valuable resource to help bolster the future of our neighbors’ careers – but many face barriers in accessing this education simply due to its cost,” said State Senator Ram Villivalam said. “I am proud to have worked with the Illinois Department of Transportation on the Higher Education Student Loan Repayment Assistance for Engineers Pilot Program, an initiative that will bolster our neighbors’ ability to access higher education opportunities without burdening them with high loan repayments.”
According to the most recent data from the American Council of Engineering Companies, about 184,000 engineers retire or leave the field a year while 166,000 new engineers enter the workforce, creating an annual shortfall of close to 20,000. Likewise, engineering graduates peaked at roughly 214,000 in 2019 but declined by more than 10,000 since then.
With a noted rotation program that exposes new civil engineers to multiple aspects of the profession, IDOT is uniquely positioned to cross-train candidates in many facets of civil engineering and position them to grow and spend their careers at the agency.
Those entering the ranks of the 1,000 civil engineers at IDOT will have the opportunity to make transformational contributions to infrastructure in Illinois, the transportation hub of the United States. Passed in 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program is investing a total of $33.2 billion into the state’s aging transportation system. As a result, coupled with the largest infrastructure program adopted on the federal level in 2021, IDOT is completing an unprecedented number of projects up and down the state – and civil engineers are needed to make those projects happen.
The new student loan repayment assistance program was established as a pilot subject to periodic review, funding availability and legislative authorization.
“ACEC Illinois is proud to have partnered with IDOT, Sen. Villivalam and legislative leaders to advance this innovative, first-of-its-kind student loan assistance program,” said Kevin Artl, president and CEO of ACEC Illinois. “At a time when workforce challenges continue to impact the engineering industry and public sector alike, this initiative will help attract and retain the next generation of transportation professionals needed to deliver critical infrastructure projects across Illinois, including the continued success of Rebuild Illinois.”
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