Gov. Bruce Rauner Visits Niles West Vocational Education Programs

SKOKIE, IL — The governor toured Niles West High School in Skokie last week, visiting students participating in the school's robotics, automotive, engineering and other programs to prepare teens for college and careers. Gov. Bruce Rauner's Jan. 22 visit focused on the school's engineering, computer science and business departments and aimed to showcase how Northern Suburbs Educational Region Vocational Education, or NSERVE, programs are working in practice.

There are about 24,000 high school students across five districts participating in NSERVE programs. They provide equipment, professional training and experiential learning in career and technical education courses.

The consortium's goal is to help students discover fields they are passionate about, through "integrated learning and discovery to help support making transitions from high school to post-secondary education, training or employment," according to the school.

The programming aims to offer students the chance to make a better decision of where to go to college if they know why they are going.

"It's a job creator equally important as college prep," Rauner tweeted after the event.

District 219 Superintendent Steven Isoye praised teachers and students, according to Niles West News.
“I think it’s important that we have our elected officials visit our schools to see what we do, and how we are able to prepare our students,” Isoye said. “There are great things that are happening here at Niles West and district 219 overall.”

Rauner said he wanted to make sure students had a chance to pursue their vocation of choice, the school paper reported.

“We’re trying to get our economy competitive and growing, so if a student wants to be an auto-technician or a welder, a mechanic or a doctor or a physician or lawyer; whatever they choose to do, they can do it in Illinois,” he said.

Rauner said Niles West's model could serve as a model for other schools. He described welding is an especially in-demand skill and noted Niles West's opportunities for getting hands-on welding experience, Pioneer Press reported.

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