Insider Brief
- The Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) released a regional strategy to expand the Midwest quantum workforce and meet growing industry demand.
- The plan focuses on improving education access, workforce mobility, and collaboration between academia, industry, and training programs.
- The initiative aims to support tens of thousands of future quantum jobs across the Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region.
PRESS RELEASE — The Chicago Quantum Exchange released a new report today that outlines a regional strategy for expanding the quantum workforce, a crucial step in preparing for the tens of thousands of quantum jobs that are expected in the Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region over the next decade.
Anchored by the CQE and backed by the National Science Foundation, “Advancing Together: A Unified Strategy for Scaling Midwest Quantum Talent,” calls for collaborative efforts to expand awareness of, access to, and mobility among quantum learning opportunities. It also calls on stakeholders to strengthen links between education and industry and to create shared data systems across the region.
The action plan, which grew from a series of community workshops held as part of the 2024 NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Award, leverages the Midwest’s globally recognized research ecosystem, which is home to four federally funded quantum research centers, dozens of top universities, and robust community college networks. The region currently graduates more than 2,000 PhDs and 14,000 master’s students annually in quantum-related disciplines.
“Our region’s global leadership in quantum technology means we have an opportunity to set the standard for how new innovation ecosystems are built,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the founding director of the CQE. “We know that talent is the fuel of a robust, sustainable ecosystem and that smart, curious learners are everywhere. Our job in the Quantum Prairie is to create the awareness, access points, and unified systems to ensure that everyone has a shot at these well-paid jobs — and that our region works together to prepare them to be part of the growing quantum economy.”
The Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region could see as many as 191,000 quantum jobs by 2035, according to a Boston Consulting Group analysis for the CQE. More than 70% of those jobs will be available to people who do not have graduate degrees, and nearly one-third will be open to those with associates degrees or technical training.
The new report highlights five central priorities in creating a talent pipeline to meet this demand. Among its key recommendations:
- Build awareness by expanding quantum learning in K–12 schools and teacher training;
- Increase preparation opportunities by increasing access to hands-on research and internships;
- Improve mobility by formalizing transfer and apprenticeship pathways across colleges and universities;
- Drive employer leadership by launching a collaborative network to coordinate hiring and skill development;
- Strengthen coordination by establishing shared data systems and regional partnerships to align programs and investments.
“Without stronger coordination, the Midwest risks underutilizing its talent pipeline at a moment when global competition is accelerating,” said Emily Easton, the CQE’s director of education and workforce development. “This plan brings together key players to ensure that we are using our resources efficiently and reaching the full breadth of quantum talent across the Quantum Prairie.”
Throughout the report, Advancing Together offers specific recommendations, including establishing a Quantum Teaching Center of Excellence to coordinate teacher preparation; creating a shared-access framework to enable hands-on training for students from institutions without dedicated quantum equipment; formalizing transfer pathways into major Midwest research institutions for quantum-relevant fields; and creating employer collaboratives to ensure students build the specific skills needed for the quantum workplace.
“Talent is the fuel of a robust, sustainable ecosystem and … smart, curious learners are everywhere. Our job in the Quantum Prairie is to create the awareness, access points, and unified systems to ensure that everyone has a shot at these well-paid jobs.”
— said, David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor of Quantum Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the founding director of the CQE
Training is a particular focus throughout the report, which calls for coordinated pre-, during-, and post-apprenticeship supports, including readiness programming, mentorship, and advancement opportunities.
“Apprenticeships are an especially promising pathway with strong potential to build out the quantum workforce, especially given that employers in our regional ecosystem consistently note the need for experience alongside education,” Easton said. “Apprenticeship pathways in adjacent fields offer a helpful model to emulate as we look to establish these types of training and employment opportunities in quantum.”
The CQE-led Bloch Quantum Tech Hub, which is competing for Economic Development Administration funding to build the US a domestic quantum technology supply chain, and the CQE-led Quantum Connected, which is competing for NSF Engines funding to create quantum-enabled information security for the nation, both include robust education and training plans. If funded, those projects will support many of the objectives outlined in report.
“We have the plan, the partners, and infrastructure in the Midwest to scale both a robust quantum workforce and a domestic supply chain for the nation — what we need now is federal funding,” said Kate Timmerman, CEO of the CQE. “Federal investments will enable us to capitalize on the success and momentum of our early-stage programs and the deep Quantum Prairie collaborations driving our globally recognized discovery-to-deployment quantum ecosystem.”
Early efforts are already building momentum around many of the report’s recommended actions. The CQE’s Open Quantum Initiative offers quantum research fellowships for undergraduates, and the Engineering Pathways program offered by The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers streamlined routes into high-demand engineering bachelor’s degrees. The University of Wisconsin-Madison launched the first master’s in quantum computing and its Wonders of Quantum Physics program has ensured students and teachers across the region have access to hands-on activities that teach fundamental quantum concepts. The University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering launched one of the first PhD programs in quantum science and engineering. And the Roberts Impact Lab at Purdue University Northwest will offer tailored training programs in a range of emerging fields, including opportunities for students and adult learners to build skills for quantum careers.
Next steps in implementing the Advancing Together strategy include broad stakeholder engagement, regular progress reporting, and collaborative projects.
