The Windy City is home to a wide range of technical schools and trade schools that feed talented prospects into a thriving global economy. If you're a high school student or mid-career changers, you'll find that earning degrees, diplomas, and certificates will prepare you for a welcoming job market. Manufacturing, technology, professional services, and healthcare are a just a few of the industries that fuel the economy of Chicago. According to City-Data, the top professional sectors in the region include:

• Finance and Insurance. Headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank, the Chicago Board of Trade, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
• Food Processing. The nation's major meat packing industry.
• Manufacturing. For products such as machinery, steel, and metal products.
• Printing and Publishing. Home to nationally distributed magazines and catalogs.
• Transportation and Distribution. Powered by a major inland port.

Chicago, Illinois Offers the Best in Economic Diversity

Explore Chicago describes the city as a diverse area of 237 square miles and a population of 2,896,016 residents. You'll quickly discover that one of the critical ingredients to Chicago's trade and technology sectors is McCormick Place, a premier convention center and the largest amount of exhibition space in North America at 2.2 million square feet. Also, you'll enjoy easy access to the downtown area--known as "The Loop"--which features miles of elevated train tracks that facilitate functional movement between the city's industrial parks. Chicago's list of major employers includes:

• Abbot Laboratories
• Advocate Healthcare
• Chicago Public Schools
• City of Chicago
• Jewel-Osco
• Motorola
• SBC Ameritech
• United Airlines
• United Parcel Service of America
• US Federal Government

You'll find that the trade and technical job opportunities for graduates are virtually endless. Chicago offers you the type of technology and consumer-driven atmosphere that makes starting or continuing a career ideal for the professions that most interest you.