Chicago Politics

IQMP Workforce Development Announcement 4.29.26

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the IQMP Workforce Development Announcement.

Transcript

2:19 I am so thrilled to welcome all of you to all of Harvey College for this exciting moment. If we haven't met, I'm Harley Johnson, CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, the IQMP, as you will hear it called, and I'm a professor of engineering at the University of Illinois. The IQMP is the first-of-its-kind campus designed to accelerate the development, scale-up, and real-world impact of quantum technologies. As CEO, I have the honor of working with many of the people you see seated behind me

2:51 to bring this massive vision for innovation to life. Part of what makes the IQMP such a unique model is the emphasis we've placed on collaboration. We've built an incredible team of partners and tenants who are committed to working together to establish Illinois as a global tech destination. That wouldn't be possible without the foundation Governor Pritzker and our ecosystem partners have spent years strengthening. What we're celebrating today is the result of that thriving ecosystem,

3:22 fueled in no small part by the passion of our state's leaders, the ambition of companies like IBM, the focus of our renowned institutes of higher education, and the energy of Illinoisans in every corner of our state. The IQMP's mission is to advance quantum technology so that it can become a tool that helps solve the world's most complex problems. To do that in a meaningful and lasting way, though, we have to ensure that the benefits are felt here at home, in the community, along the way.

3:57 That means generating excitement in technology and in the future of computing, empowering local students to engage with emerging ideas, and encouraging them today to envision themselves in the tech workforce of tomorrow. Yes, the IQMP is working to develop quantum, but we're also working to develop the people who will inherit the technology and see it grow for generations to come. Today's announcement marks an important step toward ensuring the jobs we need

4:27 to support emerging technology are nurtured at the park and made available to the people who call our state home. The IQMP symbolizes a new era for greater South Chicago, and I'm grateful to everyone here for not only including us, but collaborating with us to make that a reality. With that, I'll pass it over to the best governor in the nation, Governor J.B. Pritzker, to share this exciting news.

5:01 Thank you so much, Harley, and good morning, everyone. It is, I mean, so exciting to be here with all of you on this historic day, taking another leap forward in Illinois' quantum leadership. As we create jobs and economic opportunity right here on the south side of Chicago, there is so much that we are doing and will do to lift up the communities that we are addressing today and will tomorrow today i am very proud to announce that ibm is bringing to illinois's

5:38 iqmp campus its future now chicago center along with 750 new quantum related jobs these are jobs in cyber security and ai and data science and and really everything that surrounds uh the quantum universe, so to speak. And we're just so thrilled about that. And equally important, IBM is launching

6:13 a truly innovative workforce partnership with city colleges that ensures the benefits of the quantum revolution are felt here and all across the city of Chicago that everyone in Chicago benefits. As part of its investment, IBM and Future Now Chicago will anchor IQMP's new Quantum Works Building, which is anticipated open in 2028. Quantum Works will serve as a cutting-edge innovation and talent development hub and the IQMP's front door, connecting local residents

6:49 to career pathways in these rapidly growing fields. So this is really just the latest in the commitments that are being made to Illinois by our friends at IBM. Just two weeks ago, We announced the expansion of the IBM Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute, which supercharges Illinois's talent pipeline, creating new education and career pathways in quantum and AI.

7:23 And less than 18 months ago, IBM announced that Chicago will be home to its national quantum algorithm center and its next generation quantum computer. So I'm not welcoming IBM for the first time. I am saying IBM is accelerating its engagement in our city and in our state, and we just can't thank them enough. A big thanks to so many folks that are with us today who've committed to that vision for this community and for our quantum future.

7:59 Our city and county leaders, of course, Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County's Economic Development Chief Xochitl Flores, city colleges chancellor juan salgado commissioner stanley moore alderman peter chico and alderman greg mitchell our friends at uiuc including basher who runs the engineering school there and is doing such a terrific job for us u chicago and the president paul avisados who's behind me

8:31 here and i'm not i'm not surprised to see him here i want you all to know that our major universities for the first time in, I think, decades, have been collaborating with one another, working together, enhancing the work that gets done on each of their campuses and for the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. I think it's worthy of recognition that our leaders, the leaders like the president of University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Chancellor, and Northwestern, along with all the other institutions,

9:05 They are talking to one another, coordinating and making big things happen. So thank you all for your leadership. I want to recognize our economic development partners, Illinois Economic Development Corporation CEO Christy George, P33 CEO Brad Henderson, DCEO Chief Development Officer Lisa Clemon-Stott, our IQMP Executive Director and CEO who carries all of this on his shoulders, I might add Harley Johnson. and thank you for your leadership, Harley.

9:39 And lastly, I want to recognize, and I will call him to speak in just a few moments, but I want to recognize the visionary technology leader who received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Of course, that's IBM CEO Arvind Krishna. Thank you. So collaboration has been the center of our progress. It's made it all happen.

10:10 People working together across what typically have been siloed lines. We've brought together world-class academic institutions, government at all levels, national laboratories, partners from business, labor, and philanthropy, economic development organizations, community groups, and beyond. Our collective focus has been on the build-out of the most robust quantum ecosystem in the entire nation. In 2019, Illinois became the first state in the nation to invest in and actualize a plan for the quantum future,

10:44 and that gave the federal government the confidence to award Illinois major grants for two of the five national quantum information science research centers in 2020, along with a grant for one of the nation's seven AI research institutes. And then the state doubled down on all of that in 2024 with IQMP. In preparation for their final move into IQMP, scientists and engineers are already moving into buildings across the city of Chicago

11:17 as they develop the first commercially useful quantum computers, test new software, and explore applications that could reshape industries. Indeed, not just could, will reshape industries, and we're seeing it already. And with a transformation that's this big, I intend to make sure that our working families and communities are at the core of the economic success that these changes are going to bring to Chicago, to the state of Illinois, and to the United States. Through a new innovative workforce collaboration between IBM and City Colleges of Chicago

11:51 and philanthropic partners, our people here in Illinois will benefit from the opportunities ahead. At IBM's Future Now Chicago Center, residents of the South Side will be able to reap the economic lift from this new wave of technology. City colleges are supporting 500 apprentices at IBM. And even more exciting, IBM has committed to hiring more than a third of qualified participants for full-time positions.

12:28 And the others, yeah, as we grow this ecosystem, the opportunities for the others are abounding. From students entering the workforce to workers looking to reskill, The partnership that we're talking about today is among the first of many steps to ensure that our quantum ecosystem is not just about innovation, but about opportunity. So I'm grateful to be taking that first step with all of you today, and I look forward to seeing this vision become a reality.

12:58 And so with that, I'm now happy to pass this podium over to truly a great leader at IBM, but also for the nation and a partner in our economic growth, the CEO of IBM, Arvind Krishna. Arvind? So thank you. Thank you, Governor. And it's an honor to be here today. We are really pleased. The governor called out a long list of people who have been important to get us here,

13:31 But to call out a lot our IBM team, who's worked on this for the last couple of years, the governor's team, the Economic Development Corporation, local business leaders, the mayor, the city, the state. Really, it's been a very, very fulsome journey. I also want to call out a couple of people by name, Paul from the University of Chicago, who approached me upon this in a really cold January about four years ago, and who stayed with it, and Rashid Bashir then, who also highly, highly encouraged us to do this.

14:14 Look, I feel that IBM and the state have had a long history, going back over 100 years. There's been collaboration with the universities, and with this new era of quantum computing upon us, I actually do believe that we are now a couple of years away from this making a profound difference to industry and to people's lives. This is the moment to double down on our cooperation and our investment. However, other than the quantum, it's also really important to drive economic growth.

14:48 And it is because of that that we announced and the governor announced our plans to bring 750 new, these are direct jobs from IBM, through the IBM Future Now Chicago delivery. center. I will point out the governor and IEDC know this well, direct jobs often have a multiplier effect of anywhere from five to ten other jobs in the local communities. So that is also a piece

15:22 of this. The governor mentioned a few of these things but the interrelation between them is really important. This center will be based at the IQMP building where we are also leading and are very proud to be members of the National Quantum Algorithms Center and where we will deploy an IBM quantum system too later this year. So that is also all comes together and helps the momentum and the excitement on these topics. But it's also important to point out this center is a

15:59 partnership between IBM and the state to attract and grow talent to accelerate economic development. We will partner, as the governor pointed out, with the city colleges, but with also many other colleges in the state to draw their apprentices, to hire their apprentices, but to also hire their graduate students into our centers. It will also hopefully provide local businesses, and I know many of them have already signed up, so thank you, to harness these resources to help improve their own businesses.

16:35 But our part of it has to be then to give them access to the best talent and the best technology right here locally from Chicago. So all of these partnerships across all of the programs from co-ops, interns, full-time hires, is really going to help cultivate the talent and deliver growth for the state and for the region. We are extremely up front. People will come work for us for a few years.

17:05 We're not asking them to commit for a long, long time. and then they will also branch out and provide that talent to other local companies, hopefully local companies, and that is actually a very important and vibrant part of this ecosystem. We are excited to help deliver these business outcomes, and the goal is to make Illinois a better place to live, to work, and to do business. With that, let me hand it over to Soshi Flores, who is going to be next.

17:36 Thank you. Good morning, everyone. I'm Soshi Flores, the Bureau Chief of the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. And how exciting was that? I am so thrilled and honored to be here today to celebrate this milestone really for our entire region. And thank you, Arvind. Thank you for your vision, for those words, and for choosing the state of Illinois and Cook County as a partner in this transformational opportunity.

18:10 Under your direction, IBM continues to lead with purpose and also to set the pace for the industry. More than a partner, IBM really is a proven catalyst. They have done this time and time again for regional transformation and redefining local economies. Today is a great day for Cook County and the state of Illinois as we welcome IBM to the IQMP campus and the south side of Chicago, my home.

18:40 This decision speaks to the strengths of our region, our talent, our institutions, as the governor mentioned, and our continued efforts to compete on the global stage. I want to recognize Governor J.B. Pritzker and Christy George for their vision, their leadership, and their commitment to making this possible. And for demonstrating, they really are demonstrating what can be achieved through strong, coordinated partnerships across the city, the county, and the state.

19:16 Those aren't just words that they say. Those are demonstrated by their actions. At Cook County, under the leadership of President Tony Preckwinkle, we are proud to be part of this effort by aligning our resources and tools to support this campus. and build a strong foundation for long-term inclusive growth. What makes this moment especially meaningful is not just what it delivers today, and it is exciting, I'm very excited about all the jobs,

19:48 but really what it sets in motion. This is not just about this one-time investment. This is a foundation for long-term inclusive growth. Thank you. This effort will create high-quality jobs. It will establish a hub for innovation and open real pathways into the tech economy for our residents, the residents that are right here in the south side of Chicago and south suburban Cook County. Projects like this are truly catalytic.

20:21 They attract talent, they attract investment, and they attract new opportunities. This is what's possible when we come together with partners like IBM to deliver transformational change and shape the future of our region. Thank you again, and congratulations to IBM and all of our partners. It is now my honor to introduce a partner in this work, a strong champion for the people of the city of Chicago. Please join me in welcoming Mayor Brandon Johnson.

20:53 All right, thank you so much, Soshi, and good morning, everyone. And we're halfway there, guys, just be patient. You know, one of my top priorities as mayor is to invest in Chicago's next generation, ensuring that they have opportunities to access and advance their career pathways. I'm grateful to the IQMP for their commitment to growing an equitable and inclusive economy. But I'm especially grateful for the training and the hiring of our young people

21:26 and our residents from historically underserved communities. And today I'm grateful to celebrate IBM and their future now Chicago Center. These 750 jobs is a remarkable testament to how the range of technology fields and offerings provide tangible pathways into stable long-term careers for Chicagoans.

21:56 A major part of this effort, of course, will include IBM's partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago to hire 180 alumni from their new apprenticeship program. In a moment, you're going to hear from our chancellor, and our community colleges are really second to none. And as a beneficiary and a product of our community colleges here in Chicago, I can tell you that the talent that is coming out of our community colleges, they clearly produce mayors of the city of Chicago.

22:29 So this demonstrates what strong public-private partnerships look like when government, employers, philanthropists, workforce organizations, and educational institutions all work together toward a shared collective goal. This new effort to train and hire Chicagoans at the IQMP builds on other efforts to ensure that this transformational project brings true opportunity and investment to our communities. And one example that we're really proud of is our Saturday morning Quantum program, A partnership with Fermilab, Chicago Public Schools, and Olive Harvey College.

23:05 Just this past Saturday, yet another 40 students, including many from the communities surrounding the IQMP, graduated from Saturday morning quantum, gaining exposure to the industries and technologies of the future. Yeah, that's good. Graduation, that's right. And of course, not every Chicagoan will become a quantum scientist. But that's not our goal, though. We are intentionally offering pathways to a variety of careers across a range of fields,

23:36 from technology, advanced manufacturing, to operations and infrastructure. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that our residents and communities benefit from the opportunities that the IQMP offers, from the very beginning before the doors even open. And moments like today are proof that we are making progress on that shared objective. Chicago is becoming a global leader in quantum and next-generation technologies, and my administration remains committed to including all 77 areas of our beloved city

24:07 so that they can all experience the growth. And similarly, we are committed to ensuring that all Chicago's major development projects are empowered by Chicagoans for Chicagoans. I'm proud to celebrate this workforce development milestone with all of you today, And the city of Chicago is proud to support this effort to ensure that this project becomes reality. I want to give a special shout out to Governor Pritzker, to President Tony Preckwinkle, again, the city colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado, IBM, IQMP.

24:39 I'm grateful to both of our alders that are here today. This is the quietest they've ever been in my presence in the last six months, so maybe we should just host city council meetings right here. So thank you to all. There's Mitchell and Chico, and of course all the organizations, the philanthropic partners who are helping us build a model that is focused on inclusive economic growth, and most importantly, long-term growth. Long-lasting opportunities for Chicagoans. We are building the safest, most affordable big city in America, and we are doing that together. To the residents who are interested in learning more about these careers in the future, this is the time to invest in yourself and to embark upon a new path.

25:15 But most importantly, this is an opportunity for you to enroll in one of our fine community colleges of Chicago. So by the way, too, Chancellor, before I bring you up here, my son is about to graduate from Kenwood. And he's going to Eastern Illinois, so he's committed to public education, Governor. Eastern Illinois. And the other day ago, he wanted to know my transcripts. And specifically, he wanted to understand what would all those W's, what they represent.

25:47 But what I did, what he did walk away, though, Chancellor, as we bark and pun these new paths, he said, well, Dad, you were obviously destined to be a politician because the only A's that you got in high school were the A's where the class was called leadership. English and acting so so with that please welcome to the podium the Chancellor of Community Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Juan Salgado well let

26:18 me start by thanking Mayor Johnson for championing city colleges at every opportunity I get the opportunity to be with him on many occasions and he truly is a champion for you know our students and our communities Welcome to Olive Harvey College. All right. There's no better place to have an announcement that's about jobs and economic opportunity. That's about inclusion.

26:49 That's about upward mobility. There's no better place to do that. I got to recognize President of Olive Harvey College, Kimberly Hollingsworth, for her leadership. because she and her colleagues of the seven city colleges of Chicago make this work possible. Make upward mobility, economic prosperity possible. Okay? But let's be clear. It takes leadership to make this kind of movement possible.

27:23 And so I really want to thank Governor Pritzker for your vision in positioning Illinois to lead in quantum. To assembling a team capable of attracting the kind of investment we are beginning to see in this campus. You know, to have IBM CEO Armin Krishna here today with such great incitement and coming on multiple occasions

27:55 and talking about 750 jobs, all right? You know, IBM is an innovator and pioneer, but we like to think that we are too at City Colleges of Chicago because together we're building a pipeline in demand careers for Chicagoans. These are paid apprenticeships that will accelerate upward mobility. It's fitting, by the way, this is National Apprenticeship Week

28:26 that we're celebrating, okay? So, and when we celebrate national apprenticeship, we think of 180 human beings that are going to be hired through this new apprenticeship model. We call it the Chicago Moonshot. Alright? Why do we call it the Chicago Moonshot? Because we believe that this model is going to be adopted. And it's going to be grown. And we're going to be looking years from now at the level of inclusion that we've never seen before in our city.

28:59 At a moment of great transition and great worry for many, many people. And so this is a moonshot. It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to capitalize on the momentum of the IQMP, connect employers to a highly skilled pipeline that comes from City Colleges of Chicago. We're going to serve as the employer record. So we'll pay those students for a year's time so that IBM and all the employers can see the talent that is present in front of them.

29:30 And we're confident that after that year's worth of opportunity that they'll be hired. And they'll be hired in great numbers. We've quantified this. In 10 years, we think we'll be at 1,000 apprenticeships every single year, generating 60 million dollars in annual earnings to people in neighborhoods that have to believe when they're in our local public schools that these opportunities are for them. That's what makes America what it is and makes America great.

30:03 And so we are going to do this, but we're not going to do it alone. We've got partners from CSU. We've got partners from the University of Illinois system. We've got our Chicago public schools working with us today as well. We're going to do it together because together we can create a truly inclusive economy in Chicago and Illinois. And I want to thank someone who is working hard to make every opportunity, to make every employer engagement turn into this kind of a victory.

30:36 And that is Christy George, President and CEO of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation. Christy. Why y'all make me go after him? Good morning. Thank you so much. My name is Christy George. Thank you, sir. I'm the President and CEO of the Illinois Economic Development Corporation, the state's business attraction and investment arm.

31:07 It is so wonderful to be here with you all. And thank you to City Colleges and to President Hollingsworth for hosting us today. Very much appreciate this opportunity. Today is about one thing, building the next generation of talent and making sure opportunity reaches every single community. What you are seeing here did not happen by chance. It happened because leaders across government, education, philanthropy, and the private sector came together around a shared belief

31:39 that talent is everywhere, but opportunity must be intentional. And when we align around it, we don't just create jobs. We change lives and we reshape futures. That is what our state, what Illinois, does best. At the heart of this work is creating real pathways for people. Pathways to long-term economic mobility and access to in-demand careers in technology. This is not something that's happening to South Chicago.

32:12 It is happening with South Chicago. It reflects a broader commitment to ensure that Illinois residents are directly connected to the opportunities being created here. And I am deeply grateful to the many partners working alongside the South Chicago community and across Team Illinois to make that happen. I want to recognize a few leaders who helped bring this project to life. The entire team at IBM, and I'm going to call you out, so get ready to be embarrassed. Charles Masters, Mike Strauss, Mahmood and Neil, thank you so much for all of your work.

32:45 And I especially want to recognize a former IBMer, Dixie Adams, who helped make this vision and shape this effort nearly two years ago. We could not have done this without you. Thank you. I got a longer list. And Sarisha. Sorry. I got a longer list. Alexandra DeLuca at P33, who served as my project manager and worked tirelessly to make this day possible. All of our private sector partners that are here today who are supportive of projects and collaborations like the one showcased today, thank you for believing in this partnership.

33:22 Philanthropic partners like Matt Bruce, who you'll hear from in a minute, from the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance and others that are investing in city colleges to support a much broader effort, which you just heard from Chancellor Salgaldo and specifically about Project Moonshot. Our public sector partners, Soshi Flores and Cook County Board President Preckwinkle, who leaned in to make this project happen. Chancellor Salgaldo and the City College's team. Mayor Johnson, Commissioner Boatwright, your team has been fantastic.

33:53 Thank you for your help and support. Megan Dyer, Harley, and Lauren Wilson at the IQMP. First Assistant Deputy Governor, Kaz Peters. Lisa Stott from DCEO, Deputy Governor Andy Menard. My board chair, John Atkinson, Alderman Chico, and Mitchell. our elected leaders in the General Assembly and leadership at all of the universities that are present here today, and, of course, the man, Governor J.B. Pritzker.

34:24 The governor had the foresight to think bigger, to position Illinois not just to compete, but to lead in the next generation of technology. The IQMP is the result of that vision, and today's announcement is proof that that vision is becoming reality. But what matters most is not just the investment. It's the impact on people. Illinois was recently ranked one of the top states in the nation for workforce development. That's because we've made intentional investments in our universities, our community colleges, and our training programs.

34:56 Our ecosystem has supported and developed programs. programs like the Exchange Chicago, led by SDI, Comer Foundation, and P33. This project builds on that foundation. With City Colleges of Chicago at the Center and partnerships with Chicago State University, SIU, Edwardsville, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois, we are creating clear, direct pathways into education and careers in technology, pathways that didn't exist before for many Illinoisans.

35:29 Lastly, I want to recognize Mr. Krishna, a son of the University of Illinois, who didn't just choose our state, but chose to invest in our people. Building a workforce model like this, ground up, inclusive, and intentional, reflects a long-term commitment to impact, and there's no better place for that impact than here on the south side of Chicago. For decades, opportunity moved away from this community. But the story of the South Side is not one of decline.

36:01 It's one of resilience, it's one of strength, and it's one of possibility. Congratulations to IBM and to all of the partners on this incredible announcement. And with that, it is now my pleasure to introduce my friend, my board member, and my partner, who is instrumental in making this project a reality, the founding CEO of P33, Brad Henderson.

36:32 Good morning. Morning. What an exciting and hopeful day. And I just, it's a really big deal. 750 great jobs. Great jobs. Much wise things have been said already. So I just want to emphasize three quick things. The first thing I want to share is just, I think it's important for the people of Illinois and people of Chicago to understand the power right now of Team Illinois. Whether it's on the way to someone dropping off their kid, trying to join a call to get something to happen,

37:06 rushing quickly into a whiteboard to figure out a hard problem, midnight before a deadline, or sometimes all weekend, the city, the state, the county, the city colleges, the University of Illinois, edc you name it people are working together to grow this state in a way that i think we should be so incredibly proud and that's a big deal i would like to emphasize over the past couple

37:36 years we have a new awesome teammate in that and that's ibm ibm has been tireless in understanding us listening to us making us better i there's so many of the ibmers who just decided let's get in the boat and row with them and i think together we're going to get even stronger so thank you to IBM. The second thing I want to mention is just, I think there's this sense that technology, like the really cool cutting edge stuff happens on the coast. And what I want people to understand

38:07 about this announcement today is it's happening here, here. And what's been so fun for me on this journey is I get to sit in the room and just be a fly on the wall when IBM is talking to the leading companies in Chicago and the solutions they're coming up with, cutting edge AI solutions for climate change or drug discovery. This work is going to ensure that Chicago and Illinois are real leaders in technology, and that's what this announcement is about. And lastly, and very importantly, I think, and Christy got at this a little bit,

38:39 is something special is happening on the south side of Chicago right now. I think that's a really important point. And so whether it's the leadership at already existing incredible work at University of Chicago, city colleges, Chicago State, et cetera, which are always driving change. The progress that's been made at IQMP now with this incredible center and then the work of the exchange and Grand Crossing with partners like the Comer Foundation, SDI, Peoples, Northern Trust, et cetera, there's this thing happening where we're all trying to solve

39:12 cutting-edge technology problems on the south side of Chicago. And so I just think it's a proud day for all of us. It's a sign of great things to come. And with that, I'd like to hand it to one of those leaders who's had this vision for a long time, my friend, my partner, Dean Rashid Bashir. Good morning, everyone. I have to bring this down from Brad. Good morning.

39:42 My name is Rashid Bashir. I'm humbled and honored to be the dean of the Granger College of Engineering at UIUC and also serve as the vice chancellor for Chicago Strategic Partnerships. I'm also really proud to be part of the IQMP board. I'm the vice chair of the board. So I want to acknowledge, actually, Wilbur Milhouse. He's here and he's the chair of the IQMP board and has been doing I also want to acknowledge Susan Martinez. She's sitting over there. She's a vice chancellor for research at UIUC, and she's the principal officer for IQMP. And, of course, our great friend, Paul Olivasaros, president of UChicago.

40:15 We have amazing partnerships with them that are just growing by leaps and bounds. So thank you, Paul, for all of you. Thank you. So it's really my distinct pleasure to be here today to celebrate this monumental milestone for the IQMP, for South Chicago and for IBM. I want to also give another shout-out especially to Dr. Erwin Krishna. He's a proud alum. We are so proud of him. And Erwin has often said he's had two jobs in his career, one at the University of Illinois when he was a grad student and one at IBM.

40:48 So this is amazingly full circle where he is now helping to create all of these jobs in Chicago where he started out. So thank you, Erwin. Thank you so much. And I'd also like to take a moment, of course, to acknowledge and thank Governor Pritzker, not only the best governor, but the quantum governor and his great team, its amazing team, and also specifically just want to point out to him and his team for the Discovery Partners Institute funding appropriation

41:20 from a few years ago to the University of Illinois, because a major portion of that funding is what is being used to construct or will be used to construct the Quantum Works building which will house this amazing IBM center in the future. So I think this is just all coming full circle in really amazingly consequential ways. Also, the remaining funding of that appropriation is being used to stand up the Discovery Partners Institute headquarter in downtown Chicago. Again, thanks to Governor Pritzker's strong support, we're setting that up in downtown as a hub for AI.

41:51 But the reason I'm mentioning is because the partnership across downtown and DPI and IQMP would be just an amazing synergy. And the programs that are developed there can be deployed here at the Quantum Works building. So we're really very excited about that. Also, on behalf of UIUC and the Granger College of Engineering, we're just really proud to and excited to continue to expand and deepen our pathway partnerships with the City College and their amazing leader, Juan Salgado. We have a 2-plus-2 engineering partnership with them,

42:23 and actually the city colleges is the largest provider of pathway students to the Granger College of Engineering. So I can attest firsthand that they prepare a student amazingly well, and those students are ready to go on and change the world, and they will change the world as they work for IBM. Thank you. And we really look forward to supporting and working with them and with Chicago State, who we just recently also completed a 3-plus-2 partnership. Thank you, President Scott. But we look forward to continuing to support the development of workforce and apprenticeship program in AI, in data science, cybersecurity, advanced technology, and many others.

43:03 There's a saying that if you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go far, you go together. And that is what's happening in Illinois and in Chicago. We're just so excited about that. And actually, we're not only going far together. I would say IBM and Illinois are now quantum mechanically entangled forever. We are breaking barriers to make Chicago the hub of the future of technology and South Chicago. So now it's my great pleasure to introduce another amazing leader,

43:34 Jenny Scanlon, who is the CEO and president of Underwriter Lab Solutions. Good morning. It is such an honor to stand here with Governor Pritzker, with Mayor Johnson, with Chief Flores, with Arvind, with Juan, with Brad's, all of these just amazing, esteemed colleagues for today's announcement. I also want to thank Arvind and my friend Dixie Adams, who I see here, and IBM and their

44:06 team for their continued engagement in Chicago. It is just another sign that Illinois is becoming a global center for quantum innovation. And as someone who started my career here in Chicago at IBM, it is gratifying and exciting. I'm here today wearing a few hats. I'm CEO of UL Solutions, the global safety science company that is rooted in Underwriters Laboratories, which was founded here in Chicago at the World's Fair in 1894 at the dawn of electricity.

44:42 I also have the privilege of serving as board vice chair of P33 and served as co-chair of Innovate Illinois, where it was really energizing to help fulfill the governor's vision. Chicago has always been a place place where big ideas meet real world impact and as new technologies continue to take shape here safety and trust must go alongside innovation so that industries last and communities benefit

45:15 and when industries and universities and government and civic organizations work toward that shared goal we can turn federal investment and private innovation into lasting local opportunity and that ecosystem around intellectual property matters at uol solutions our mission for over 130 years has been working for a safer world and that's embraced by 15 000 employees worldwide and that mission depends on talent on people trained to work on technologies

45:54 that are shaping our future. So we at UL Solutions look forward to being part of the ecosystem at IQMP. We are proud to support efforts like this to advance cutting-edge science in a way that strengthens communities, expands opportunities, and positions Chicago as a global leader. Today is about momentum and partnership, and it's about making sure that when the future arrives, Chicago isn't just ready, but that we are building and leading every step of the way.

46:30 So thank you, and now I have the pleasure of introducing Matt Bruce, the Executive Director of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. My name is Matthew Bruce, and I lead the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance. We are the collaboration of philanthropic funders investing in the workforce development of our region. We're proudly hosted at the Chicago Community Trust.

47:03 Over eight years ago, we had the opportunity to partner with the Chicago Apprentice Network and host a fund called Apprenticeship 2020. Through that fund, the trust and CWFA and five other national and local foundations invested over $3 million in our region's apprenticeship infrastructure. Primarily, we did it by building up the Office of Apprenticeship at City Colleges of Chicago. Today, we see the fruits of that investment, and it's a testament to the amazing work of Chancellor Salgado and his team, the City Colleges staff.

47:33 We believe that City Colleges is creating the very best community college system for apprenticeship in the country. Now the Moonshot represents the next evolution of work-based learning at City Colleges. It's the next big philanthropic opportunity, and our funder alliance is all in. The campaign may sound ambitious, it is a moonshot after all, but we believe the workforce philanthropy community is more than up to the task. Together with the Chicago Community Trust, we have been meeting with our foundation partners, both locally and nationally,

48:06 convincing our colleagues of the significance of this opportunity, and it has not been difficult. Once foundations see the vision that you heard from Chancellor Salgado, they're all in too. We are so confident that we are committed to city colleges that by the end of this year, the philanthropic community will have made pooled or aligned investments totally at least $7 million, and that's just for the first two to three years of this initiative.

48:39 The reason why the Apprenticeship Moonshot is such a compelling philanthropic investment is really the collaboration that stands behind it, which you've been hearing about this morning. It is rare to see this kind of public-private partnership where the private sector, state government, local governments, and our workforce institutions like city colleges, like our university system, like Chicago State, come together to build truly effective pathways to wealth-building jobs. We want to commend the governor, the state of Illinois, and especially the Illinois Economic Development Corporation,

49:13 and also our local county and city leaders for being the public leadership of that public-private partnership. We also want to thank the Chicago Apprentice Network, P33, companies like IBM, really just the first of many to come, for seeing the beauty of apprenticeships and the win-win-win that they create for workers, for companies, and for communities. And most of all, we want to congratulate City Colleges of Chicago and, more importantly, the students of City Colleges

49:44 for making the very most of these opportunities. The success of the students, their families, the communities they live in is the very best return on investment we can hope to achieve. Thank you. and applause Now it's my honor to introduce Dr. Ronnie Faison, the CEO of St. Francis DeSalle High School.

50:16 The south side kid in me is beaming right now. It's just amazing to see how many people came together to make this happen. Like I just formally said, I'm Dr. Ronnie Nicole Faison, the proud principal and CEO of St. Francis DeSalle High School, also a proud alum, third generation southeast sider, so you guys are all stuck with me. When the steel mills closed 30 years ago, I watched opportunity and investment skip past the southeast side and left us behind.

50:47 As an educator, I've often wondered what opportunities and what future I can prepare my students for when there are very few resources in our community. It's left me with this feeling of we have to do more. If you look back at photos from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, you see that South Chicago and the southeast side was a booming metropolis. When I look at those pictures, it has become my push, my lifelong vision to see us return back there. Let's get back to that place.

51:17 Let's find our footing again, and let's find partners to do it with. After decades of false starts and broken promises at the former U.S. Steel site, the IQMP is already creating real opportunities for greater South Chicago. This includes bringing partners like Science Olympiad, which is dedicated to getting young people access to STEM. Despite their background, despite their socioeconomic standings, despite any of those things, they have access.

51:51 And access matters. Like kids from my school at St. France de Sales. We look at schools like ours and we say, those kids are okay. Our per capita income is $20,000 a year and our kids are fighting every day to exist in the world. Today's announcement is further proof that their presence is bringing new investment to the southeast side, which uplifts us all. The most important thing that we can do for students is give them the permission to dream, and dream in their own communities. And the IQMP and this team is doing just that.

52:21 That's why I'm thrilled and grateful for IBM, who has chosen the IQMP to serve as the home for Future Now Chicago. This is the kind of progress we've been waiting for. Our community is proud and strong. We are resilient, we are hopeful, and most importantly, we deserve a chance to help create the next chapter of ourselves with our city. I literally cannot wait to leave out these doors today and walk back into the doors of my own school and say, Babies, we got a chance at this.

52:58 Believe me when I say we want this. We need this. This is life-changing. Our children deserve all the opportunities that the IQMP and initiatives like Future Now and Chicago will offer. I don't have to turn back to our students and say they went to another part of the city and they didn't choose us. They chose us. And I've been saying this for years, that the South Chicago area is something special. And we are blessed to have you guys with us today. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank Governor Pritzker, Mayor Johnson, Alderman Chico and Mitchell,

53:34 Commissioner Stanley Moore, the IQMP, IBM, P33, Illinois, EDC, and all partners for choosing us and choosing the South Side. I'm so grateful for all that is still to come with this project and so grateful for your attention today. Thank you.

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