Seems like a decent idea
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* IDOT…
In an effort to address a nationwide shortage of people entering the profession and attract young talent, the Illinois Department of Transportation today announced a hiring initiative that will pay $15,000 of eligible student loan debt annually for up to 50 new civil engineers who graduated from Illinois schools. Payments will be capped at a total of $60,000 and begin once the engineer has worked at IDOT at least four years.
“Engineers at IDOT make a positive impact on the public every day,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “This program will reduce the financial burden for new engineers coming out of college and open the door to a meaningful career.”
The Higher Education Student Loan Repayment Assistance for Engineers Pilot Program will provide student loan repayment assistance in the form of an annual bonus after taxes of $15,000 a year for no more than four years. The program will be available for titles and areas with the greatest staffing needs.
To be eligible, the engineer must be hired by the department on or after July 1, 2024, and work at IDOT for four continuous years. Upcoming positions qualifying for the program will be identified in job postings.
The result of legislation proposed by Senate Majority Caucus Whip Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), the program is one of several moves by IDOT to help address a downward trend in engineering graduates and make the agency more competitive in the job market. Last fall, the department teamed with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services to start an Intern to Hire program designed to attract and retain top civil engineering talent by helping college interns transition to full-time employment at the agency upon graduation. […]
According to the most recent data from the American Council of Engineering Companies, about 184,000 engineers retire or leave the field a year while 166,000 new engineers enter the workforce, creating an annual shortfall of close to 20,000. Likewise, engineering graduates peaked at roughly 214,000 in 2019 but declined by more than 10,000 since then.
Thoughts?
- Proud Sucker - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:31 am:
Definitely a good program to try. It has similarities to teacher incentive/retention programs. IDOT needs the help.
- StarLineChicago - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:42 am:
IDOT District 1 in particular also has a location problem for young professionals: 20-somethings fresh out of college and paying Chicago-area rents don’t want to have to drive to Schaumburg, and the sole Pace bus route that came reasonably close to the District 1 office didn’t survive the pandemic.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:42 am:
So you must work for IDOT for 8 years to get max repayment, capped at $60k
The federal program pays $100k/$200k/$250k (depending) after 10 years
It would be nice to see state dollars targeted at the gaps in the federal dollars rather than duplicating those benefits.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:49 am:
Maybe I’m misunderstanding the wording and only 4 total years are required to get $60k repayment?
Still seems duplicative and aimed at recruiting rather than retention but maybe there’s something I don’t understand.
- Merica - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:50 am:
Unnecessary, the feds already provide loan forgiveness.
Try posting jobs in Chicago, you’ll get a larger more
diverse candidate pool. You shouldn’t have to move 4 hours away to an area that has < 2% of the State’s population to serve your state government
- Steve Rogers - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 11:51 am:
Illinois is one of the best engineering schools in the country. If there’s an incentive to get grads to stay in state for work, I’m for it.
- SKI - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 12:00 pm:
This is a good step towards recruiting engineering talent. Another good step would be returning hiring authority to IDOT with a mandate that hiring decisions be made within 60 days of posting a position. Currently it can take a year to 18 months with the quagmire known as CMS.
Secretary Biagi bragged in both appropriations hearings about reducing the number of steps it took to hire new talent. Keep going in this direction. You can’t expect a new engineer to sit around and wait for a year while the state checks off every box on a bureaucracy first process list.
- IDOn'T - Tuesday, May 12, 26 @ 12:03 pm:
There’s actually a way for IDOT to get creative in hiring? Their stonewalling on hiring mechanics for over a decade would suggest otherwise.