The first quarter of our fiscal year also brings our annual Fall Fundraiser, which we just held last Tuesday, October 1st. This year’s theme was Brews & Ballads because we added a karaoke twist to our fundraising efforts. 

Building on the work we started last year, we’ve continued to bridge the gap between funders and community-based organizations through The Funders' Project, a six-session series focused on creating more equitable funding practices. The initiative aims to make application and reporting processes fairer and more accessible, especially for underrepresented organizations.

Our Skills Agenda meetings have begun earnestly as we look forward to rounding out the year and the new legislative year’s priorities. We are engaging in conversations focused on broader workforce development priorities for the table.

The Transit Table is evolving into a broader Fines & Fees Table in an exciting transition. Building on the success of ending driver’s license suspensions for minor traffic offenses, which disproportionately impacted people's ability to work, this new focus will expand efforts to address the broader issue of fines and fees.

In a significant victory for workers and communities across Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker signed HB277 into law, marking an important step forward in the fight against unjust penalties that disproportionately harm low-income individuals and people of color. Starting January 1, 2025, Illinois will no longer suspend driver’s licenses for failure to appear in court for minor traffic violations. This overdue change will have far-reaching positive impacts on families, businesses, and entire communities.

There is also a fundamental connection between voting and workforce development funding. The future of legislation like the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Illinois’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) depends on the choices made at the ballot box. After reading this, we hope our sector will be motivated and equipped to effectively advocate for increased voter turnout, ensuring that our elected officials prioritize the needs of those who rely on essential programs.

The discussion was both dynamic and thought-provoking, focusing on critical efforts to bridge the racial wealth gap. Despite the promising programs and pilot initiatives being considered, our conversation underscored the significant work that remains, particularly in addressing the deeper systemic issues exacerbating this gap in Chicago.

In a recent Senate hearing, Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones, CEO of the Chicago Jobs Council (CJC), provided insightful testimony on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and its critical role in addressing the needs of the modern workforce. Since the hearing, she was asked to submit a response to a few questions the Senators had.

Cheryl Freeman, CJC Board Member and Dean at Olive-Harvey College (OHC) invited us to tour the state-of-the-art Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics (TDL) Center at Olive-Harvey College in Chicago. OHC is recognized as the Center of Excellence for TDL within the City Colleges network, serving as the primary hub for TDL expertise.

In this year’s Illinois General Assembly Spring Session, CJC advocated for policies that move us closer to an anti-racist workforce development system and employment equity. The Skills for Good Jobs expansive collaborative Agenda has encompassed several key initiatives led by partners and CJC.