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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Alison Lindburg, Director of Sustainability
DATE: December 9, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the execution of a license agreement with College of DuPage and 548 Foundation for a CEJA Workforce Development Hub at 649 S. River Street, Aurora, IL 60506.
PURPOSE:
The City of Aurora has an opportunity to bring living-wage job creation to Aurora through green job training. The City will be providing the space at 649 S. River Street for education and training to establish the CEJA Workforce Development Hub.
BACKGROUND:
The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) Workforce Development Hub is the first to launch in the City of Aurora and one of thirteen established statewide in conjunction with the Clean and Equitable Jobs Act. This legislation, passed in 2021, assists in transitioning the State of Illinois to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. The Act also incentivizes renewable energy development, expands electric vehicle charging station infrastructure, and creates statewide clean energy workforce training programs. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has pledged to allocate $180 million annually to workforce and community programs like the CEJA Workforce Development Hub.
Programming at the CEJA Workforce Development Hub will be delivered by community-based organizations and partners, including the City of Aurora, College of DuPage and the 548 Foundation. These classes will help train area residents for clean energy jobs, which include administrative, sales, and other support functions in the following industries: solar energy, solar thermal, wind energy, electric vehicle, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, healthy building materials, and energy storage. In time, the Hub will expand its operations, serving as a learning and viewing center to help visitors understand energy efficiency within homes and buildings.
The College of DuPage and 548 Foundation have been struggling to find a space to rent that fits ...
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