Workforce Development
Resources support development of a regional workforce that possesses the skills and credentials needed by the region's employers and encourage the investment of workforce preparation funds in activities that maximize the employment prospects of the region's residents.
Current regional initiatives and/or recent reports produced in this category follow. Additional resources can be accessed in the Publications section.
Health Professions Opportunity Grant
On behalf of The Workforce Partners of Metropolitan Chicago, the Workforce Investment Board of Will County applied for and was awarded a five year Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) in the amount of almost $5 million through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with annual funding contingent on performance.
Currently in its fourth year, HPOG funds support six healthcare bridge programs designed to prepare Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients and adults and out-of-school youth eligible for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program for employment in high growth healthcare occupations. Programs are administered throughout the region by College of Lake County, McHenry County College, Jewish Vocational Services, Instituto del Progresso Latino, Central States SER, and Joliet Junior College.
Accelerated Training for Illinois Manufacturing
Collar Counties of the Metropolitan Chicago Region Receive $2 Million to Assist Manufacturers
As manufacturers increase production, expand operations, and replace an aging workforce, they are faced with the challenge of finding workers with the right skills. There is currently a mismatch between the skills job seekers have and the skills required for today’s manufacturing.
The Metro Suburban Accelerated Training for Illinois Manufacturing Program (ATIM) is designed to address this skills gap – providing manufacturers with access to qualified job candidates for high demand jobs and job seekers access to good paying jobs. Funding for the Metro Suburban ATIM Program is provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through a US Department of Labor Workforce Innovation Grant. The program is administered through a partnership that includes Workforce Investment Boards and respective local WIAPrograms/IllinoisworkNet Centers, economic development organizations, industry associations, and manufacturers in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties.
For more information,visit www.manufacturing4illinois.com.
Middle Skill Job Opportunities in the Metropolitan Region
The Workforce Partners of Metropolitan Chicago developed the Middle-Skill Job Opportunities in the Metropolitan Chicago Region (.pdf) publication for the purpose of sharing information on middle-skill job opportunities in the metropolitan Chicago region.
Middle-skill jobs are defined as those jobs that require some training and/or education beyond high school but less than a bachelor's degree.
The report provides information specific to the region's high growth middle-skill jobs, educational/training requirements, and anticipated earnings.
The report has received national attention; while information has been analyzed on national and state basis this report examines middle-skill, high demand jobs at a regional level.