Labor Education Program (LEP)

Strengthening The Workforce

Based in Champaign and Chicago, the Labor Education Program is the only state-wide provider of professional training and development for union leaders and workers in Illinois.

Customized Courses For Your Union

The Labor Education Program will consult with your union or organization to design an appropriate educational program covering a variety of subject areas throughout Illinois.

Classes can be presented in multiple formats, including half-day and day-long sessions. We can also provide educational presentations of variable length to accommodate your meeting or conference schedules. All courses can be conducted either in our classrooms or at your site. Classes are arranged to meet at times that are best for your organization, including weekdays and evenings, and weekends.

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Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR)

The Project for Middle Class Renewalʼs mission is to investigate the working conditions of workers in todayʼs economy

and elevate public discourse on issues affecting workers with research, analysis and education in order to develop and propose public policies that will reduce poverty, provide forms of representation to all workers, prevent gender, race, disability, and LGBTQIA discrimination, create more stable forms of employment, and promote middle-class paying jobs.

Policy Reports

The project for middle class renewal supports research by our post-doc research analysts, industry & union partners, and faculty of the labor education program. Research focuses include the gig economy, the child tax credit, wage and labor practices, and race, gender, & labor.

Policy Reports