Work-Based Learning & Apprenticeship Catalysts

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What Is The WBLA Catalysts Initiative?
The Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (WBLA) Committee is proud to host the WBLA Catalysts Initiative, an award program recognizing movers and shakers in Illinois work-based learning.

The WBLA Catalysts Initiative was established to recognize the "good, but hard work" of developing sustainable work-based learning and apprenticeship models. By honoring one Exemplar Employer and one Exemplar Program annually, the State of Illinois is building a library of proven blueprints.

The Exemplar Employer Catalyst is awarded in June, and the Exemplar Program Catalyst is awarded in December.
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What Is The Goal?
The goal is simple: take what works in one region and provide a roadmap to scale and duplicate those results across all 102 counties, ensuring every Illinois business has access to a work-class talent pipeline.​
​​Apprenticeship Illinois Logo
​ Illinois Workforce Innovation Board Logo

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Application
Applications are open year-round.
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Who Can Be Nominated?
​Any Illinois employer or program conducting work-based learning. This includes:
  • ​Career Awareness: Initial exposure to various careers through activities.
  • Career Exploration: Deeper investigation into specific career paths, such as job shadowing, or career assessment/mentorship.
  • Career Preparation: Hands-on experience like on-the-job training, internships, pre-apprenticeships, or project-based learning.
  • Apprenticeship: Combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare workers for highly-skilled careers.
  • Incumbent Worker Training: “Learning FOR Work” – Refine and improve skills for immediate use and career progression within specific job settings.
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Catalyst Toolkit
​The WBLA Catalyst Initiative is more than an award; it is a knowledge-transfer initiative. The WBLA Committee collaborates with winners to translate their success into a statewide replication toolkit. This toolkit will provide the ecosystem and statewide industry partners with: Strategic Implementation Roadmaps, Core Programmatic Elements, Standardized Competency Models, and Collaborative Design Templates.​

Each WBLA Catalyst will contribute a piece to the puzzle, creating a resource repository of best practices and lessons learned from our awardees.
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Recognition and Visibility
​Recognition includes:
  • Statewide Visibility: Featured spotlights on ApprenticeshipIllinois.com and the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board (IWIB) Quarterly Bulletin.
  • Media Presence: Opportunities for in-depth storytelling through featured podcasts and dedicated social media campaigns.
  • High-Level Engagement: An invitation to present at the WBLA Committee Meeting, providing a platform to influence policy and strategy at the state level.
  • Signature Events: Official recognition during National Apprenticeship Week, highlighting the program’s impact to a broader audience.
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Apprentice Perspective Podcast
​We will be launching a podcast in 2026: The Apprentice Perspective​. Episodes will be available on all your favorite streaming services.

Each WBLA Catalyst will be featured in a 15-20-minute interview to discuss their story. Tune in to follow Illinois’ growth in work-based learning.
  • How did these teams find collaborators?
  • What lessons have they learned that they would like to impart to the listener?
  • How long did it take to reach the success level that they have achieved?
  • How do they ensure their customers receive the quality support that will set them up for long-term success?

Stay tuned for more information.
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Meet Our Catalysts
Congratulations to our first WBLA Catalyst, Elgin Community College! You will notice a push in our social media until June 2026. Give us a like and a share. Let’s take these programs from “boutique pilots” to “statewide standards.”

Learn all about how Elgin built powerful business partnerships to connect students with competitive-wage, high-quality work-based learning opportunities through their “intrusive coordination” model with employers in our first WBLA Catalyst featured article.