Meet The Partnership
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership is the non-profit umbrella organization that operates one of the largest public workforce systems in the country. As the designated administrator of federal workforce development funding for the City of Chicago and Cook County, The Partnership oversees a network of approximately 70 community-based organizations, American Job Centers, satellite sites, and sector-driven centers. The organization also oversees a diverse portfolio of workforce initiatives utilizing other public, corporate and philanthropic funds.
By The Numbers
2023-2024 Program Year
Invested from Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) Funding
Adults Provided Services Through WIOA Funding
Individuals Benefited From the QUEST Disaster Recovery Grant Program
Invested into
Individual Training
Accounts
Individual Training
Accounts Created
Employment Rate Post-Training from Individual Training Accounts
Invested in On-The-Job Training
Employer Reimbursement
for Incumbent Worker
Training Programs
Serving Career Seekers
& Employer-Partners
Serving New Arrivals
Since 1985, Chicago has been a sanctuary city, ensuring services without regard to immigration status. By August 2022, over 47,000 new arrivals had come from the southern border. In Program Year 2023, The Partnership helped lead workforce development for these new residents.
After Temporary Protective Status (TPS) was granted to Venezuelans in July, The Partnership and its partners set up a workforce center, providing free legal support and TPS applications at the Metcalfe Federal Building. This initiative gathered nearly 3,500 workforce surveys, laying the foundation for training and workforce development programs.
American Job Centers
The 10 American Job Centers (AJCs) in The Partnership’s network, 5 in suburban Cook County and 5 in Chicago, offer career seekers and employers services.
In late 2023, The Partnership launched LevelUpAJC.org, providing both career seekers and employers virtual access to AJCs as the “front door” to The Partnership’s network of approximately 70 community based organizations.
scaleLIT
ScaleLIT is The Partnership’s “one-stop operator,” providing a common thread in coordinating and overseeing the AJC network. Over the past program year, scaleLIT hosted 80 partner meetings, drafted newsletters sharing information about AJC programs and events, released an AJC manual for staff training, and managed over 3,800 onsite and 2,100 workshop satisfaction surveys.
Working With Employer Partners
Information Technology Sector Center
3
times a year, The Partnership’s IT Sector Center hosts Techapalooza, a job and resource fair.
280
career seekers and 37 employers were served over three events.
Andrew B. met representatives from The Partnership’s IT Sector Center at a job fair. He enrolled in and completed WIOA-funded career training, receiving support with resume building and job search tools. Now, Andrew works full-time as a Civil Service IT Technical Associate at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Hospitality and Tourism Sector Center
400
interviews were conducted at the 7th annual Hospitality Hires Chicago at The Palmer House Hotel with over a third of those interviewed receiving conditional offers.
200
interviews were conducted with individuals attending the first ever Hospitality Hires North, at the Hilton Orrington in Evanston, IL.
SMASHotels Human Resources Team participated in the Sector Center’s fall hospitality hiring event, representing six local properties. The team identified six candidates for second interviews, and three were hired.
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
700
job orders generated.
30
regional hiring events hosted.
16
individuals placed in an On-The-Job Training Program.
Stacy B. faced several challenges earning his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). After his school closed for eight weeks, he failed the test three times without a refresher and had to wait 30 days to retest. Just as he was ready, a fractured hand from basketball delayed him further. With support from The Partnership network and E&ES Career Coach Shenika B., Stacy persisted and earned his CDL.
Healthcare Sector Center
70
residents placed in careers with Northwestern Medicine.
18
individuals placed in an On-The-Job Training program.
Shannon B., a married mother of six, was working in custodial services and feeling “overworked and underpaid” when she discovered The City’s Contact Tracing Corps, led by The Partnership. Joining the Corps opened doors to a role in community health with Safer Foundation and eventually led to a new job with the South Side Healthy Community Organization through a Partnership hiring event.
Construction Sector
1,200
participants joined the Illinois Tollway’s ConstructionWorks program, with over 200 entering construction training.
439
participants secured jobs, including 72 on Tollway contracts.
Martivez P. enrolled in ConstructionWorks, powered by the Illinois Tollway, in July 2023; and joined Awaken Foundation’s pre-apprenticeship program, earning OSHA 10, CPR, and NCCER credentials. During training, he received gas cards for transportation support. Now employed, he is a member of LiUNA Local 32. Martivez shared that he is grateful for discovering the program.
Manufacturing Sector
500
career seekers placed in manufacturing roles, averaging a wage of more than $23 per hour.
$100,000
received in OJT funds locally by Mondelez International, a global snack food leader.
Alejandro H. joined a 3-week Level Up Bridge Program after losing his job while supporting a family of five. With seven years of experience in manufacturing and warehouse operations, he enrolled in a Calumet Area Industrial Commission program to enhance his skills. In May 2023, he began a new role as an Electric Assembler at Gotion High-Tech, earning $24 per hour.
Career Seekers Paths To Success
Tuition For Training
In Program Year 2023, The Partnership invested more than $16 million in training and issued more than 2,900 Individual Training Accounts (ITA).
Digital Literacy
The Partnership offers free monthly online digital literacy workshops. Last program year, nearly 400 residents attended 90 webinars covering topics like resume building, job search tools, and Microsoft Office and Google applications.
Chicago’s Community Health Response Corp
In July 2023, Chicago’s Community Response Corps (CHRC) advanced COVID-19 recovery by addressing health determinants to reduce the racial life expectancy gap. CHRC provided residents with reliable information, recovery support, and essential health resources.
Promoting U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Programs
The Partnership received an ‘Apprenticeship Illinois’ grant to promote the benefits of apprenticeship models to regional employers, helping them build talent pipelines. 40 career seekers enrolled in certified apprenticeship programs, with participation expected to grow across all industries.
Good Jobs Chicagoland
In August 2022, The Partnership launched Good Jobs Chicagoland with an $18.5 million grant, fostering economic resilience in Chicago and Cook County through employer-led workforce initiatives. Key sectors include Manufacturing, TDL, Healthcare, and IT. In Program Year 2023, 45 Employer Training Plans were submitted, training 280 participants and placing 175 in jobs.
OpportunityWorks
OpportunityWorks, funded by Cook County and private sector employers, is a program offering 8-week internships for out-of-work and out-of-school young adults. More than 460 young adults participated in 2023, with nearly 88% completing internships and 83% progressing to school or work. More than 80 employers participated during Program Year 2023.
Union Pacific Railroad funded a 16-week all-female TDL cohort at South Suburban College, featuring a 4-week paid internship. The first cohort graduated in June 2024.
Working to Ensure Career Accessibility
Over the last Program Year, Cook County Career Pathway Navigators received nearly 600 service referrals. More than 700 individuals were referred to AJCs for support and more than 5,400 residents received outreach about the program at AJCs through hiring events, email, and social media impressions.
The Road Home for Returning Residents
The Road Home is a 34-month project, in partnership with Cook County’s Justice Advisory Council, that supports individuals returning to Cook County from Illinois’ correctional facilities. Through Cook County’s ARPA funds, the program expanded to assist more returning residents facing employment challenges. Over the last program year, 96 individuals were enrolled in employment services.
Cook County Career Connector Program
Over the last Program Year, The Cook County Career Connector Program hosted seven hiring events across suburban Cook County through The Partnership’s network. These events served over 1,000 career seekers and nearly 130 employers from various high-demand, high-growth industries, offering numerous opportunities.
Partnership Funding Information
2024 Annual Report
From working with career seekers to career providers (employers)
The Partnership’s work is critical to our regional economy.
For more insights, download the full PDF below.