Manufacturing CPT Jobs in Illinois
Illinois is one of the Midwest's largest manufacturing hubs, home to companies like Caterpillar, Abbott Laboratories, and Illinois Tool Works that regularly bring on F-1 CPT students for engineering, operations, and supply chain roles. Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford anchor the state's manufacturing activity, giving CPT students access to internship opportunities across advanced manufacturing, medical devices, and industrial equipment.
Find Manufacturing JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 55+ Manufacturing CPT Jobs in Illinois










See all 55+ Manufacturing CPT Jobs in Illinois
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Manufacturing CPT Jobs in Illinois.
Get Access To All Jobs
Location: Savanna, Illinois
Pay: $26.00 per hour
Program start: Tuesday, May 25, 2027, with limited flexibility for academic calendars
Duration: 10 weeks, with the possibility of extending up to two additional weeks based on business needs and intern availability
Schedule: Full time, 40 hours per week, on site
Help Make Manufacturing Safer
As an Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Intern at MacLean-Fogg, you will connect classroom learning with the work of protecting people and the environment in a manufacturing business. You will work with EHS professionals and teams across the facility to understand risks, gather useful information, and support practical improvements.
You will take ownership of a meaningful project with guidance from an experienced team. Depending on your assignment, you might help improve a hazard-reporting process, analyze safety or environmental data, support an ergonomic improvement, or make training and work instructions easier to understand. At the end of the program, you will present your work, findings, and recommendations to facility leadership.
One application connects you with the EHS internship assignments available at this manufacturing facility. Tell us which areas interest you. We will consider your interests, coursework, and experience alongside available projects and business needs.
EHS Areas You Could Explore
Assignments vary by manufacturing facility and may include:
- Workplace Safety and Hazard Prevention: Help teams identify concerns, understand how work is performed, and follow through on improvements.
- Environmental Programs and Resource Use: Support projects involving waste, water, energy, or environmental records under the direction of qualified team members.
- Occupational Health and Ergonomics: Learn how teams evaluate workplace conditions and improve tasks to reduce risk.
- EHS Data and Process Improvement: Organize information, examine trends, and help teams track the effectiveness of their actions.
- Training, Communication, and Employee Engagement: Help make safety and environmental information clear, useful, and relevant to daily work.
You do not need prior experience in these areas. Not every assignment is available at every location.
What You Will Do
- Learn the facility's products, processes, and EHS practices relevant to your assignment.
- Participate in supervised observations and reviews to understand tasks, concerns, and existing controls.
- Gather and organize data, check its accuracy, and help teams identify patterns or opportunities for improvement.
- Listen to employees and work with EHS, operations, maintenance, and other teams to understand practical needs.
- Support project recommendations and help track assigned actions through completion.
- Help prepare clear training materials, instructions, or project communications for review by qualified team members.
- Handle sensitive information carefully and document observations accurately.
- Follow required training, protective-equipment requirements, and facility procedures; ask for guidance before unfamiliar work.
- Present your project results, lessons, and recommendations.
Your work will be supervised. You will not be expected to independently approve compliance decisions or perform hazardous activities without the required training and authorization.
What You Bring
- Enrollment in a bachelor's or master's degree program in occupational or environmental health and safety, safety science, industrial hygiene, environmental science, engineering, or a closely related technical field.
- Interest in protecting people and the environment in a manufacturing setting.
- Curiosity about how work is performed and willingness to ask questions before drawing conclusions.
- Ability to organize information, check your work, and explain your reasoning.
- Willingness to listen, accept feedback, and work respectfully with people in different roles.
- Availability for a full-time, on-site summer internship. Limited start-date flexibility may be available for academic calendars.
All college class levels are welcome. Previous internship experience is not required. Coursework, labs, projects, volunteering, student activities, and other jobs can demonstrate your potential.
Helpful, but Not Required
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Coursework or projects involving safety, environmental science, human factors, ergonomics, statistics, or manufacturing.
- Experience using Excel or another tool to organize and analyze information.
- Experience explaining a process, developing instructions, or helping a group adopt an improvement.
What You Will Gain
- Ownership of a project with a clear purpose and defined deliverable.
- Coaching and feedback from experienced team members.
- Practical experience connecting EHS principles with everyday manufacturing work.
- Opportunities to collaborate across functions and present your findings.
- A closer look at potential career paths in Environmental, Health & Safety.
Housing Assistance
At approved locations, eligible interns may receive a one-time $3,000 taxable housing allowance. To qualify, your available summer residence must be more than 50 miles from the worksite, you must need temporary housing for the internship, and you cannot receive equivalent company-provided housing or relocation support. Payment occurs after the internship begins and required documentation is complete.
CPT Manufacturing Job Roles in Illinois
See all 55+ Manufacturing CPT Jobs in Illinois
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Manufacturing Jobs in IllinoisManufacturing CPT Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which manufacturing companies in Illinois are known to sponsor F-1 CPT visas?
Large Illinois-based manufacturers including Caterpillar, Abbott Laboratories, Illinois Tool Works, Deere and Company (with significant Illinois operations), and Motorola Solutions have historically offered internship and co-op programs that accommodate F-1 CPT authorization. Mid-size manufacturers in the Chicago metro and Peoria areas also participate, though CPT sponsorship availability varies by semester, department, and whether the role meets your school's CPT requirements. Always confirm CPT eligibility with your DSO before accepting an offer.
Which cities in Illinois have the most manufacturing F-1 CPT sponsorship jobs?
Chicago and its suburbs, particularly the I-88 corridor through Downers Grove, Lisle, and Aurora, account for the largest share of manufacturing F-1 CPT opportunities in Illinois due to the concentration of corporate headquarters and research facilities. Peoria is a strong secondary market, anchored by Caterpillar's global headquarters. Rockford has a dense base of precision manufacturing and aerospace suppliers, and Decatur hosts major agribusiness and food processing operations.
What types of manufacturing roles typically qualify for F-1 CPT sponsorship in Illinois?
Roles that align directly with a student's field of study are the qualifying factor for CPT, not the job title itself. In Illinois manufacturing, that commonly includes industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, supply chain and operations management, quality assurance, process engineering, and manufacturing systems internships. Roles in R&D, product development, and automation engineering at companies like Illinois Tool Works or Abbott also tend to fit CPT requirements for engineering and applied science students.
How do I find manufacturing F-1 CPT sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students and filters job listings by visa type, including F-1 CPT, and by industry, so you can search directly for manufacturing roles in Illinois without sorting through positions that don't accommodate CPT. Beyond Migrate Mate, your university's career center and on-campus recruiting events are worth attending, as Illinois schools like University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern have established relationships with major in-state manufacturers.
Are there any Illinois-specific considerations for F-1 CPT students pursuing manufacturing jobs?
Illinois does not impose state-level restrictions on F-1 CPT employment beyond federal DSO authorization requirements, but manufacturing roles in certain sectors, such as defense-adjacent suppliers or companies with export-controlled technology, may involve additional screening under federal export control regulations. Students from certain countries may face longer background check timelines. It's worth asking the employer early in the process whether the role involves export-controlled technology or security clearance prerequisites, and consulting your DSO before accepting.