College certification programs help qualify cannabis workers [Video]

PEORIA (25News Now) – With the help of a national marijuana education leader, the University of Illinois in Springfield launched a cannabis product development and design class to join four other cannabis certification programs.

Recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois in 2020, but industry leaders have struggled to find qualified employees. Green Flower created the certificate programs to combat that.

UIS offers certifications in healthcare, agriculture, business, risk management, and now development.

“This was the number one requested content area that we’ve been hearing about for a year or more, so Green Flower was able to respond to that, pull together industry experts, and design a really fascinating program,” said Robert Kerr, UIS’s executive director of innovation and opportunity.

The programs are open to anyone interested in getting a certificate in cannabis education. The classes are non-credit, six-month online programs that cost $2,500 with more than 400 hours of instruction.

“What we’re really trying to do is get that credential for somebody to get into …