Illinois Laborers' and Contractors/Joint Apprenticeship & Training Program

The Department of Workforce Education and Development (WED) is one of the largest education, training, and development departments in the United States. A recent external evaluation team recognized the Department as “among the top ten in the nation.” The Department’s graduate programs were listed among the top ten in the nation twice by U.S. News & World Report as cited in the Southern Spotlight. Offering an array of innovative and flexible undergraduate and graduate programs, the Department has more than 19,000 alumni.

WED is one of nine departments in the College of Education and Human Services at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Since its inception, the department has been devoted to creating a workforce characterized by changing technological, demographic and economic environments. The department offers programs of study from undergraduate through doctoral degrees in an array of curricula to fit students’ interests, career goals and schedules.

The focus on broad workforce education and development initiatives is the result of a collective decision by the faculty to align programs relative to changing economic, education, demographic, legislative, and technological environments.

Mission

WED is dedicated to continuous improvement in human performance and learning to prepare students for careers in corporations, volunteer organizations, apprenticeship programs, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, government agencies and military organizations.

Faculty

The WED faculty is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, skills and attitudes in workforce education, and to the continuous improvement in human performance. They continue to explore various alternatives for restructuring majors and specializations, believing that curricula should allow for flexibility to take advantage of accelerating technological and social change. WED is committed to linking education, work and training to improve competitiveness within the workforce.

Program Information

The Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development with specialization in Education Training and Development requires a minimum of 121 semester hours, with a minimum of 60 hours from SIUC or an accredited four-year institution.

An A.A.S. graduate transferring to WED with a GPA of 2.25/4.0 or higher may qualify for the Capstone Option. This option provides a curriculum path with no more than 60 hours to complete the B.S. degree.

Specialization in Education Training and Development

The Bachelor of Science degree in Workforce Education and Development with specialization in Education Training and Development (ETD) prepares occupationally competent and experienced people to:

Apply the best practice in the delivery of training and education instruction that promotes learning.
Develop effective training and education curriculum.
Supervise and manage training and education personnel.
Understand and apply the principles of Human Performance Improvement (HPI) in training and apprenticeship programs.
Enter advanced graduate study in Workforce Education and Development.

Currently

IL-JATP students have the opportunity to complete apprenticeship training and earn an Associate of Applied Science degree at an accredited community college.
SIUC's College of Education and Human Services offers a Bachelor of Science in Workforce Education and Development. This flexible Capstone degree provides a 2+2 baccalaureate path for virtually any A.A.S. degree.
The WED degree is offered on campus in both weekend and evening format.
The WED degree is offered off-campus in weekend format at 16 military and civilian installations across the country. The department has offered the off-campus program for more than 35 years, with a current enrollment of over 800 students.
The WED program is the largest program of its kind in the country.
The WED graduate program is ranked as one of the top ten specialty programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report.
Many graduates of the WED program hold high-level education, training and development positions in corporations, government, community colleges and universities.

The Master of Science in Education degree in Workforce Education and Development.
The department of Workforce Education and Development offers a Master of Science in Education degree. This degree program allows students to continue their professional development in Human Performance Improvement (HPI), plus additional opportunity for advanced study in Technical Resource Management (TRM) and/or Industrial Technology (IT). The flexibility of the WED master's degree permits and encourages additional study in HPI, TRM, IT or related areas.