'Building futures on borrowed time': Youth workforce program scrambles as state funding ends

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. - At a construction site in Chicago Heights, young people are learning how to hang drywall, handle electrical work, tackle plumbing and build something organizers hope will last much longer than the project itself: a future.

But the state money helping pay for that opportunity is about to run out.

The backstory:

Save Our City, Save Our Future, a Chicago-area nonprofit serving young people ages 16 to 24, says its current state funding ends Aug. 31, leaving its fall programming in jeopardy and more than 40 young people waiting for an opportunity to participate.

The organization says it has served more than 120 young people since last summer, providing paid, hands-on experience in construction and other trades, along with financial literacy, conflict resolution and professional development.

Founder Robert Harper said he created the organization in 2024 after seeing what was happening with young people in communities around him.

"I wanted to help people that look like myself," Harper said. "I wanted to give kids like myself the resources, the skills."

Harper said his own experience in construction showed him that learning a trade could provide young people with an alternative path.

Participants aren't simply volunteering. Organizers say they are paid $17 an hour for up to 20 hours a week. The program also provides food, transportation assistance, uniforms, safety equipment and helps cover the cost of professional certifications.

Some participants have earned OSHA certifications, while others have obtained credentials in culinary arts, real estate and property management, according to the organization.

For 17-year-old Cornelius Harris, the opportunity began much more simply: he needed a job.

"I just knew we was gonna be doing hands-on work," Harris said. "I just didn’t expect the program to be this good."

Harris said the experience has given young people an opportunity to find direction while earning a paycheck.

"I feel like this program going away, it would just put less opportunities out there in our city when our city need help," Harris said. "It could help people that need more help than I did that really don’t have a direction in life."

For 19-year-old Dajon Dillard, learning the work has also meant learning to think like an owner.

"It most definitely gave me the mindset of starting my own business," Dillard said.

Funding set to expire

Now, the question is whether the organization can afford to provide those same opportunities to another group of young people.

Partnership Director Catherine McDowell said the current funding pays participants only through Aug. 31. Although a fall cohort has begun, organizers say the program has been put on hold and more than 40 additional young people are on a waiting list.

"We have the wait list because we won’t have the funds to pay them," McDowell said. "We don’t want to start 40 more and then tell them middle of them learning something that we have to stop it."

Public records on the Illinois Comptroller’s website show Save Our City, Save Our Future had a state contract totaling more than $389,000 for fiscal year 2025, with the state database showing a lifetime contract amount of more than $591,000.

The organization is also among providers categorized under the Illinois Youth Investment Program, an initiative aimed at helping young people ages 16 to 24 gain work experience and career skills.

Organizers say they were told funding for workforce development had been cut and that the future of the money was "up in the air."

But Gov. JB Pritzker’s office says the money at issue was never intended to be permanent.

Governor's office: Funding was always temporary

In a statement to FOX Chicago, Pritzker’s office said the funding was "a one-time budget addition made by the General Assembly, not an ongoing annual appropriation."

The governor’s office also said the funding structure and grant end dates were communicated to participating organizations by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

"Governor Pritzker remains committed to investing in opportunities that allow young people to develop skills, gain meaningful experience, and earn a paycheck," the statement said.

The administration pointed to $45 million it says has been preserved for youth employment and violence-prevention programs statewide, despite what it described as new federal funding challenges.

"The administration looks forward to working in partnership with advocates, lawmakers, and other stakeholders during the upcoming legislative session to continue this critical work," the governor’s office said.

The distinction is significant: while organizers describe a loss of funding that threatens their ability to continue the program, the governor’s office says the money was a temporary appropriation with a predetermined end date, rather than an ongoing funding stream that was eliminated.

More than a paycheck

McDowell argues the stakes extend beyond jobs.

She said the program was designed to give young people resources and structure at an age when a lack of opportunity can have lasting consequences.

"A lot of it, you blame on them. They’re doing this, they’re doing that, and it’s all bad," McDowell said of criticism surrounding young people and crime. "But let’s look at what do they have? Where are the resources coming from that’s stopping them from doing that?"

McDowell said participants could have spent their summer elsewhere, but instead they showed up for work, learned trades and gained experience.

"If we’re frustrated with what’s going on, let’s change that," she said. "Let’s focus on putting the money where our mouths are."

The organization is now seeking private donations, grants, corporate sponsors and community support to keep its fall cohort operating and eventually expand the program.

McDowell estimates Save Our City, Save Our Future needs at least $550,000 a year to maintain its programming. The organization is also planning a fundraising event and silent auction for Nov. 14.

For the young people already learning a trade and the dozens still waiting for their chance, the debate over how the state money was structured doesn't change the immediate reality.

The funding has an expiration date.

Their ambitions don't.

What's next:

For more information about Save Our City, Save Our Future, its programs or ways to support the organization, visit SaveOurFutureCity.org.