Chicago Workforce
Investment Council
60 W Randolph
Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60601
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Greetings!
In the past few months Chicago's workforce community has seen a flurry of activity. A new CEO has been named to lead the creation of an integrated, county-wide workforce system, an innovative program to help individuals finish college has been announced by Mayor Emanuel, and WIA performance results reveal that Chicago workers are exceeding goals. Read about all of these stories and more in this edition of the CWIC newsletter.
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CEO named to lead City-County workforce merger
Karin Norington-Reaves appointed by Emanuel and Preckwinkle
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 Karin Norington-Reaves was recently appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicagoland Workforce Board, a newly created collaborative agency designed to merge three workforce boards and coordinate workforce development in the greater Chicagoland area including the City of Chicago and Northern and Southern Cook County.
"This partnership is about putting people into good jobs to meet today's business demand," said Mayor Emanuel.
"This new approach to workforce development will allow our companies to find and train employees to fit the jobs of the 21st century," said President Preckwinkle.
Norington-Reaves served as the Director of Cook County Works, the federally funded workforce development agency for North, South and West suburban Cook County from December 2010 until her recent appointment. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Director of the Office of Urban Assistance for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), where she created and oversaw programs and implemented policies to address economic issues facing urban populations statewide.
Prior to joining DCEO, Norington-Reaves served as Chief of Staff for the City of Chicago's 20th Ward, where she assisted in developing policy, creating and implementing innovative programs and facilitating the quality-of-life planning process for the Washington Park community as part of the New Communities Program of the Local Initiative Support Corporation.
Norington-Reaves has significant advocacy experience in the fields of public utility consumer protection, health law and education.
She began her career as a corps member of the national non-profit education reform organization, Teach for America in Compton, California, served as an elementary school teacher, and returned to TFA as Executive Director of the Chicago region. She has also served as the Director of School and Corporate Relations for Innovations for Learning, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving early elementary literacy through technology.
After graduating from law school, Norington-Reaves served as a staff attorney in the Maryland attorney general's office, a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, legal counsel and lobbyist for Illinois' Citizens Utility Board and an adjunct faculty at Loyola University's Beazley Institute for Health Law in Chicago.
Norington-Reaves received her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas, and her undergraduate degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Northwestern University. She resides in Chicago and is an active member of her community.
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Complete the Degree elicits outpouring of support
Bank of America, City of Chicago and Chicago Community Trust on Board
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 Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the City of Chicago's support for Complete the Degree, a new program at CWIC to bridge the gap between businesses, higher education, economic development and workforce development efforts in the city.  | Mayor Emanuel Announces Complete the Degree at the 10th Annual Workforce Chicago Awards. Watch it now.
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The Chicago Workforce Investment Council and its Complete the Degree partners including, Women Employed, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, and the Illinois Education Foundation will target the nearly 300,000 Chicagoans who have some college experience but no degree to help them overcome barriers to graduation so they can complete their degree and become part of the skilled and knowledgeable workforce for which Chicago is known. Many public, private and nonprofit organizations have taken note of this unique program, the first of its kind in the Chicago region, and jumped on board to help support its operations. In September, Complete the Degree received a $200,000 grant from the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust, and in November received another $75,000 from Bank of America. In addition, the City of Chicago has pledged its support, allocating nearly $300,000 to the program over the next year. "We are grateful to Bank of America, the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust and the City of Chicago for supporting CWIC's mission to ensure that Chicagoans have the skills they need to compete in the workforce," remarked Amanda Cage CWIC's Director of Human Capital Strategy. "We are excited to have the capacity to move forward with this project, and that would not have been possible without the outpouring of support that we have received." What does this new program mean for Chicago's economy? CEOs for Cities estimates that adding 5,000 new bachelor's degree holders in Chicago could create $618 million in new wealth for the city. For more information on Complete the Degree and ways that you or your organization can get involved please email Amanda Cage at acage@cwic.org. |
How Chicago workers measure up
WIA Performance Results Show Workers Exceed Goals on Most Measures
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The City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) recently released its Program Year 2010 Review of WIA Outcomes & Highlights. Program Year 2010 ran from July 2010 through June 2011. Youth, adult and dislocated workers exceeded goals on most measures. Read the highlights below.
- 3,201 youth served
- 1201 new registrants
- 1189 exiters; 423 exit with employment
- $9.93 average wage at placement
- 63% Female; 37% Male
- 58% ages 16-18; 42% ages 19-21
- 70% African American
- 25% Hispanic
- 10% White
- 29% high school drop outs; 35% current student; 30% high school graduates
- 78% basic skills deficient
- 23% pregnant or parenting youth
- 7% learning disabled
- 4% Chicago Housing Authority residents
DFSS also released projections for WIA Youth for Program Year 2011:
- Total WIA Youth budget for PY 2010: $10,338,440
- Total WIA Youth budget for PY 2011: $8,937,590
- 25 agencies in the WIA youth network; 47 sites
- Projected 2,800 youth to be served in the 2011 program year
- DFSS WIA youth network averages about 60% of funds toward out-of-school youth (The U.S. Dept. of Labor requires 30%)
- Agencies follow one of two program models: Career Development (connecting youth to a career/education path) or Work-Based Learning (training youth on industry needs, soft skills, and necessary hiring techniques to gain employment).
WIA Adult Performance*
- 4870 people served
- 2333 new registrants
- 3157 received training
- 2198 placements
- 2348 exits; 1527 exit with employment
- $14.07/hour average wage at placement
- 61% Female, 39% Male
- 68% African American
- 15% Hispanic
- 15% White
- 9% high school drop outs
- 15% college graduates
- 11% prior felony conviction
- 60% food stamp recipients
- 39% basic skills deficient
- 5% limited English
WIA Dislocated Worker Performance*
- 4219 people served
- 2334 new registrants
- 2871 received training
- 1933 placements
- 1915 exits; 1432 exit with employment
- $17.32 average wage at placement
- 52% Female; 48% Male
- 53% African American
- 23% Hispanic
- 28% White
- 5% high school drop outs
- 25% college graduates
- 31% basic skills deficient
- 3% limited English
*WIA Performance is based on participants who exited the program from previous years. Achieving 80% of goal is meeting the measure.
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Use. Manage. Build.
Three types of IT talent. Thousands of possibilities for Chicago workers |
 Size estimates of the IT workforce in Chicago vary, but reports show the number of jobs ranging between 100,000 and 152,000. These workers are employed across nearly every industry in the Chicago region, and these employers typically offer the highest number of job openings on a regular basis.
A recent CWIC report identifies the different types of IT workers in the region and highlights ways for the city to meet the demand for each group.
USE: The first group of workers use technology in their daily jobs. These workers span nearly every industry and enjoy growing demand by employers. Even entry level jobs require basic digital literacy. Offering programs for youth and adults with low levels of digital literacy can help get more people to work and fill these skill gaps.
MANAGE: The second group of workers manage technology. These positions require more specialized skills. They operate and maintain existing systems for companies across the spectrum of industries. These jobs are increasingly in demand as companies automate more of their operations. Several programs in Chicago aim to provide individuals with the skills and credentials they need to fill these jobs. CWIC's report recommends that these training programs respond to rapidly changing IT skills needs. BUILD: The third group includes workers who build and develop new technologies. These workers are sparking the innovation that leads to economic and job growth. This type of work requires many years of advanced computer training. For this reason, efforts will need to start early and concentrate on youth. Chicago should also focus on retaining college graduates from local technology programs and attracting graduates from throughout the region. "CWIC's report gives us a new way to think about jobs in the IT field. As employers, it is important that we do what we can to make Chicago more attractive to IT workers across all sectors," said Chicago Workforce Investment Board member Shelly Stern Grach of Microsoft. |
Chicago's labor force in context
How has the labor force changed in Chicago? New report explores shifts
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 CWICstats at Chapin Hall has released a new report, "Chicago's Labor Force in Context - How Chicago's Population, Local Economy, and Labor Force have Changed over Time and How They Compare to Other Cities."
To help understand the issue and to begin identifying ways to address challenging economic conditions, this report places Chicago's economic experience within a broader context, assessing how Chicago's population, workforce, and industries have changed over time and how they compare to other cites.
From the report: "When making decisions about how to address the needs of local residents and businesses, policymakers need to understand the context of Chicago in regard to how dynamics of the population, industries, and labor force have changed over time as well as how Chicago compares to other metropolitan cities. The results depicted in this report highlight many aspects of the local economy that reflect the changing face of the Chicago labor force. Policymakers should consider these findings in the context of Chicago as they debate how to improve local workforce and economic development policies."
Read the full report on the Chapin Hall website.
Photo Copyright www.visualphotos.com
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What job is right for you?
WIA Training and resource guide now available to help job seekers |
 Interested in Accounting? Interior design? Want to learn how to drive a truck or be a nurse? CWICstats at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago has partnered with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services to develop a new web-based resource on WIA-certified training programs in Chicago (http://wia.chapinhall.org).
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) case managers, WIA participants, and potential employers can use the site to get information about training providers and to determine which program is right for them. The site is searchable by job family, occupation, program keywords, and geography. The following information is provided for each program: contact information, program descriptions, costs, entry requirements, WIA enrollment, completion rates, employment rates, average wages, and training-related employment.
The site also includes links to relevant labor market information, and an option for WIA training participants and employers to provide feedback on their experiences to help inform others making training decisions. The web site was modeled on a similar one in New York and is a step towards greater transparency.
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Where are the jobs?
Find out what the employment landscape in Chicago looks like right now
| |  Are you a computer programmer looking for a job in Web Development? If so, you are in luck. Of over 120,000 jobs posted in Chicago between July and September, 4,500 were for Web Developers, the top jobs in demand. Another 2,500 others were for marketing managers and 2,100 more were in retail sales.
For the third quarter in a row, CWIC analyzed hundreds of thousands of jobs postings pulled from internet jobs boards to develop an understanding of the current job demand and employer needs in the city of Chicago and Chicago Metro Region.
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Why WIA youth programming matters
WIA success stories from Jarrell Johnson and Gabriella Arriaga | Sometimes a second chance makes all the difference. Read these firsthand accounts from Jarrell and Gabriella, two individuals who participated in the WIA out-of-school youth program to learn about the impact these programs have on Chicago's youth.
Jarrell Johnson
I used to attend Thornton Township High School. I dropped out in January 2007, and by the spring of 2007 I wanted to get back into school. I applied to Howard Area Leadership academy (HALA), one of the Alternative Schools Network (ASN) member campuses, and enrolled in the ASN WIA out-of-school youth program. I was 16 with only 6 high-school credits.
After nearly 3 years of hard work, much encouragement from my family and mentoring from my WIA case manager, I graduated in June 2010 with my high school diploma and 24 high school credits. During my time at HALA, I learned what it means to be a leader.
The ASN WIA out-of-school youth program at HALA assisted me with the skills I needed to graduate and begin my career. I am currently working full-time at the Illinois Secretary of State's office in administrative support.
My goal is to provide for my new family and hopefully buy my mother a home. My new motto is, "What is the point of living if you have nothing to strive for?"
Gabriella Arriaga
I dropped out of Roberto Clemente High School in the winter of 2008. I didn't like the environment, and it seemed like the teachers didn't care, so I just didn't care about school.
In the fall of 2009 I enrolled in the Alternative Schools Network's WIA out-of-school youth program at El Cuarto Aņo High School. I was able to remain motivated with the help of the case managers in the program. I felt their support by encouraging me to stay in school and participate in job skills workshops and other school- and work-related activities. I was able to graduate by June 2009.
After graduation, I still felt supported by the case managers in the program. The case managers often called me and asked me if I needed help and gave me resources for looking and finding employment. I felt their biggest support in the summer of 2010 when they helped me apply and participate in the Put Illinois to Work (P.I.T.W.) employment program. Through P.I.T.W., I was placed as a clerk at El Cuarto Aņo High School and completed my employment when the funding ended in January of 2011. While a clerk in the high school, I still continued to receive support from the case manager by giving me advice, supporting me on how to improve my job skills and assisting me in the college enrollment process. Due to the case manager's support, I was able to confidently apply for the registrar's position at El Cuarto Aņo High School when a vacancy was created in April of 2011.
I can now proudly say that I got the job as a registrar and I'm a student at Northeastern Illinois University. I feel that because of all the support and encouragement I received from my WIA Youth program, I have become the successful person I am today.
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