We’re reimagining the workforce system so that all people
can thrive through employment. We believe an anti-racist workforce system:
Prioritizes every worker’s future financial stability, career pathway, and economic security.
Honors the humanity of all people, is inclusive, race-explicit, addresses the larger economic system, and centers those most impacted by systemic racial injustice.
Builds transformative relationships between people and systems; focusing on equitable access, providing quality jobs, and removing funding obstacles that inhibit progress.
Anti-Racist Workforce Development System Framework
Holistic
•
Restorative
•
Trust and Respect for All
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Inclusive/Expansive
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Transformative
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Transparency
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Holistic • Restorative • Trust and Respect for All • Inclusive/Expansive • Transformative • Transparency •
Communities of Practice
The Chicago Jobs Council will be hosting a series of free Communities of Practice to collaborate with the workforce development field as we collectively advance toward a more equitable and just workforce system. Please join us in this work.
Program Design
Is empathetic, prioritizes the needs of job seekers and is created in collaboration with job seekers and frontline staff. Services center the humanity, strengths, and needs of job seekers in all aspects.
The program is adequately and flexibly funded for services that reduces barriers and addresses systemic racism, producing outcomes that have a positive generational impact.
There is ample funding for staff training and staff have the capacity and time to adequately design and implement services.
Creates policies that recognize the historical & intergenerational way in which multiple systems, including not only the workforce but also education, housing, criminal justice
and others, have created an inherent set of disadvantages for people of color.
Understands that diverse representation including those with lived experiences is critical
to redesigning policies.
Addresses past harms and failures by redesigning policies with a racially equitable and
just lens.
Ensures policy alignment of services across government systems so that beneficiaries are
not denied by bureaucracies that create more obstacles for those most impacted by systemic racism.
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Client Engagement & Service Delivery
Provides job seekers with expansive and quality job or career options aligned with their goals.
Services are delivered by staff who are trained, equipped and supported to partner with
and recognize job seekers as whole, creative and resourceful people.
Client Engagement & Service delivery is non-judgemental, unbiased and culturally aware using relationship and community building approaches to support the goals of individual
job seekers.
Acknowledges each job seeker's goals and personal agency by providing holistic
wrap-around services that meet each individual’s basic needs first.
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Policy Development & Design
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Partnerships result in expansive opportunities for job seekers to work in safe and quality environments that enable job seekers & workers to thrive.
Are based on trust and respect; seeks to remove harmful power dynamics, and includes collaboration and transparent communication where all parties are valued.
Removes barriers and creates pathways to quality jobs that honor the multi-faceted and collective approach required to support individuals, communities and organizations.