Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker helped cut the ribbon Tuesday on a new $17 million manufacturing training facility – including an electric vehicle lab – at Heartland Community College in Normal.
The State Farm Electric Vehicle Lab is just one part of the new 45,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center, which will serve students in Heartland’s EV programs plus those learning robotics, HVAC, welding, and digital media. It’s the second major new facility to open at Heartland in the past month, following the $23 million Agriculture Complex.
“Heartland now serves as a model for the rest of the state,” Pritzker said Tuesday.
Heartland’s focus on manufacturing coincides with the sector’s rebound in Bloomington-Normal. The electric automaker Rivian now employs about 8,000 people in Normal – the county’s second-largest employer – and other manufacturers like Ferrero and Brandt have also grown. Several Rivian vehicles and employees were on hand for Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting.
Rivian’s arrival in Illinois predates Pritzker’s tenure, though the second-term Democrat has bragged about Illinois’ track record on clean energy – including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the REV Illinois Act – to national audiences.
Illinois’ stated goal is to get 1 million EVs on the road by 2030, supported by some limited state rebates, though there were fewer than 100,000 as of mid-February, according to state data.
Some clean-energy advocates want to go faster. In California, all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in California must be zero emissions by 2035. To date, 17 states have also adopted all or part of California’s low-emission and zero-emission vehicle regulations. It’s an idea that’s surfaced in Illinois too.
Pritzker said he wants Illinois to move in that direction, but he said he prefers the “carrots rather than sticks” approach, such as tax rebates for EV buyers.
“I personally think now is the not the right time for us to do that,” Pritzker said about adopting zero-emission standards. “Having said that, that’s ultimately the goal.”
Sharing the EV curriculum
Heartland was the first community college in Illinois to launch an EV training program, in 2021, initially in a temporary site. Heartland offers an associate’s degree in EV Technology and certificates like EV Technology, EV Maintenance and Light Repair, EV Energy Storage, and EV Service Advisor.
Heartland is proud to be first, but is even more proud that its teachers are sharing their young EV curriculum with peers at other institutions, said Heartland President Keith Cornille.
“We’re sharing it with other community colleges across the state, in order to move the state forward as a leader in electric vehicle and energy storage,” Cornille said.
The new Advanced Manufacturing Center was funded in part by a $7.5 million state grant. (State Farm donated $1 million to support the building’s new electric vehicle/energy storage training space, which became the State Farm Electric Vehicle Lab.) Pritzker said his new budget proposal for 2025 includes an additional $24 million for similar manufacturing training academies in other communities.
On economic development, Pritzker acknowledged that other states may be able to offer more financial incentives, like tax breaks, to companies than Illinois.
“We have some of that. But mostly what we have is great people. And that’s what we get to brag about. And if we keep investing in our people, we’re gonna be the destination for most companies that are thinking about the U.S. and most companies around the U.S. that are looking for a new home,” Pritzker said.
Employers in the communities that Heartland serves are struggling to fill all of their current job openings, said Heartland board chair Becky Ropp. And the need for specialized skills has become vital to the manufacturing workforce, she said, also noting that the Advanced Manufacturing Center will serve those studying green energy fields like solar and wind.
“Not only do we have the training for these in-demand careers, but Heartland also remains the most affordable option for students seeking a two-year degree,” Ropp said.
Heartland officials on Tuesday acknowledged their “regional manufacturing partners,” such as Rivian, Bridgestone, Ferrero, Brandt, G3 Machining and Caterpillar. Pritzker acknowledged the growth of the manufacturing sector in McLean County in recent years, diversifying an otherwise white-collar economy anchored by State Farm and Illinois State University.
“The future for this region couldn’t be brighter,” Pritzker said.
