On March 20th, the Chicago Jobs Council (CJC) hosted the second conversation as part of its Community of Practice series. This iteration, titled ‘Centering Lived Experience in Equity Policy Development,' focused on including and amplifying formerly incarcerated people's experiences in policymaking. The conversation brought together people from different workforce development organizations committed to reshaping their approach to workforce equity to better the workforce ecosystem.

The Chicago Jobs Council envisions a new workforce system centered on equity for all workers and job seekers. One of our policy planks is Eliminating Barriers to Employment, and a significant barrier to employment is stable and affordable housing. Bring Chicago Home, a referendum on March 19th’s primary ballot, allows Chicagoans to advocate for housing security and resources to connect people to employment, training, and other supportive wraparound services.

The Chicago Jobs Council commends the Governor for prioritizing workforce development in the FY25 budget address. The budget allocates more workforce development funds than the previous year, with investments across various programs and agencies.

On January 24th, 2024, the Chicago Jobs Council hosted the first of a three-part series of Policy Community of Practice events. Held at CJC’s downtown office, the gathering aimed to provide a collaborative space for the co-creation of innovative and inclusive policy designs.

A lot has happened in the last twenty years. In that time, we’ve worked with thousands of direct service providers, including through a recession and a pandemic. From our modest beginning of hosting a "brown bag" workshop series, CJC has grown to be the premier entity in the Midwest region dedicated to strengthening and developing the skills of the workforce development field through professional training opportunities. Here are a few highlights from our twentieth year of building capacity in the field of workforce development.

The end of a year is a good time for reflection, while also providing an opportunity to look ahead. It’s a time to look back on the year and see what we dared to tackle, what we were able to advance, and determine what more we must do. It’s a time to connect and enjoy colleagues and friends we work closely with and those who we didn’t see as often as we would have liked. 

As 2024 approaches, the rollout of the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) is picking up speed. CJC’s EEC/EEP Roundtable was held on November 20th, 2023, and the event served as a platform for a comprehensive exploration of efforts to strengthen EEC and EEP participation in CEJA programs.

One of Chicago Jobs Council’s policy and advocacy planks is Changing Systems. As employment services often don't align well with the needs of people experiencing homelessness, we work with Chicago's homeless-response system to make jobs more accessible.

As workforce development practitioners and educators, our primary responsibility is to build and strengthen our communities. One of the ways we do this is through providing Career Readiness training. Career Readiness can help job seekers continually build on their existing skills and attributes, thus helping them navigate the workforce arena.

On Tuesday October 17th, CJC celebrated with members, partners, and supporters at our Fall Fundraiser at Midwest Coast Brewing for a night of casual fun and networking with guests from across the field of workforce development