Community Involvement - Minority Participation: Illinois DOT Committees Minority Participation Comments Form Contact Us Mailing List Agency Efforts:   Illinois DOT  |  Missouri DOT Illinois Department of Transportation Aware of the importance of minority participation, IDOT is committed to increasing both the number of minority-owned businesses participating in its projects, and the availability of minority craftpersons throughout the construction industry. Targeted Assistance Program In 2004, IDOT's local District 8 office announced its new Targeted Assistance Program (TAP) to support and ensure maximum participation of minority-owned businesses in IDOT projects such as the New Mississippi River Bridge . A supplement to the existing Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) assistance offered by the District, the TAP sprang from IDOT's earlier Minority Max initiative which brought together a diverse group of industry representatives to discuss and identify barriers facing minority firms, and to determine potential solutions. Once created, TAP's goals will be to: increase the number and capacity of DBEs available to do business with IDOT increase the local minority workforce engage the community in accomplishing the first two goals Creating Solutions To accomplish this, IDOT and its consultant will be working with the community to create an action plan to increase the quality or quantity of the needs identified during the Minority Max process: communication – between minority contractors and the majority contractor community understanding – of the DOT contracting process by minority contractors minority applicants – for union-required construction apprenticeships pre-apprenticeship programs – to prepare applicants to enter the construction industry required educational skills – for those entering apprenticeship Industry Mixers, Contractor and Certification Workshops, Construction Career Workshops and School Partnerships are some of the elements that may be included in the final TAP plan. This plan will be developed in partnership with the communities it is being designed to serve. The various components that comprise the plan will be dependent upon the input and evaluation of the community. For more information on IDOT's Minority Participation efforts and DBE program, please contact 618-346-3100.