Roughly $8 million in federal funding will help Illinois high schools train students for positions operating heavy machinery and secure high-paying careers in fields facing critical workforce shortages.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi visited South Elgin High School on Thursday to announce the grant provided through the Apprenticeships Build America program. Representatives of industry groups and a national apprenticeship program joined local school officials for the announcement in an automotive shop classroom.

The Youth Workforce Development Foundation and the Associated Equipment Distributors will partner with SkillsUSA Illinois, Inc. to provide heavy equipment and diesel technology training programs that can be cost-prohibitive for schools.

Eric Hill, CEO of the Youth Workforce Development Foundation, said the grant money will help employers build youth-focused apprenticeship programs.

“With this grant, I’m truly excited to see a sustainable model where our students are going to have a pipeline to long-term career opportunities in the heavy equipment space,” Hill said.

The funding will help enhance SkillsUSA chapter programs and connect program graduates to career opportunities. In addition, it will support career-focused events, where students receive hands-on instruction with industry companies and laborers.

Elgin Area School District U-46 is part of an Illinois Education for Employment region with Algonquin-based Community School District 300, Central Unit District 301 and St. Charles Unit District 303. The region’s apprenticeship program partnered with AED three years ago.

The program went from 52 paid internships two summers ago to 150 last summer.

Brian McGuire, president and CEO at AED, said apprenticeships are vital for American industry and the economy.

“For a long time, they’ve kind of been on the back burner,” McGuire said. “It’s good to see programs like this that put them front and center and recognize that these skilled careers are important to keeping our country moving.”

Mark Poulos of Operating Engineers Local 150 said the benefit to students can last a lifetime.

“These jobs that we provide, they’re not just jobs, but they’re careers,” Poulos said. “This provides an entire life of pensions and six-figure incomes.”

Krishnamoorthi said that due to an aging workforce, there are 40,000 job vacancies projected in the heavy equipment supply chain.

“That’s where South Elgin High School comes into play because you are helping to train the next generation of workers,” he said.

Charlie Watt, a junior at South Elgin High School, is in his second year in the automotive program and plans to pursue an internship through the program this summer.

He said the auto program is giving him a head start on a career as an airplane mechanic.

“I love this class,” Watt said. “This is one of the main reasons I come to school. I can’t sit in a class and just write. Here we’re doing stuff every day, and it’s a new thing every day.”