At today’s Chicago Literacy Alliance Confab at the Literacenter, Amanda Cage, Chief Program officer from Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership shared an overview of their work. As noted on their Facebook page:
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization led by a Board of business and civic leaders … In 2011, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and then Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel appointed a joint committee to evaluate the impact of combining City and County resources. The committee’s efforts resulted in a report which suggested 19 areas of collaboration—among them was workforce development. In this area each governmental body provided similar, yet disparate services under the auspices of the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
Since its introduction in July 2012, The Partnership has implemented numerous policy changes to align occupational training services with current and projected business needs. Through its Business Relations and Economic Development team, The Partnership has amplified private sector awareness of the region’s workforce resources and has led to deeper business engagement.