HB 5602

Amends the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. Provides that the State Board of Education, the Illinois Community College Board, the Board of Higher Education, and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, in furtherance of postsecondary and career expectations, shall jointly develop a Senior Gap Semester Pilot Program. Provides that the Pilot Program shall only be offered to students eligible for grade 12 in school districts located within Regional Office of Education 35. Provides that the Pilot Program shall offer a semester-long program in which a grade 12 student may explore a profession or career within the health care industry, agriculture industry, manufacturing industry, and early childhood education industry. Requires the State Board of Education to consult with statewide organizations representing health care, agriculture, manufacturing, and early childhood education, and publish and maintain on its website a current database of employer champions for work-based learning and career readiness systems and programs in each industry.