Some trade groups have been criticized for a lack of minorities among their ranks. Such training programs can lead to stable, good-paying jobs, and the new governor said the idea is to "see firsthand in the light of day what is going on."
"There's a saying that you can't manage what you don't measure," said Rauner, who signed the order at a Southwest Side high school. "I want to measure the results. … Then we'll decide from there, when we know the facts and we see the trends, what appropriate action we can take further."
The order also directs the state's purchasing agency to do a study on how much state business goes to companies owned by veterans, women, minorities and those with disabilities. And the agency will do a review of goals, preferences and considerations relating to the hiring and training of veterans and the awarding of contracts to veteran-owned businesses. Read more of this story by Kim Geiger in the
Chicago Tribune.