Construction Careers Highlighted in 2022 Construction Appreciation Week and Workforce Development Month
Photo Caption/Pictured: Men and women working on the Jackson Park Mobility Improvements in the construction industry; Friday, September 9, 6401 S. Richards, Chicago IL.
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership), the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and F.H. Paschen are working together to create the talent pipeline needed to continue building a bright future for Chicago.
The construction industry remains a driver of economic growth. The third week in September is designated as Construction Appreciation Week, during Workforce Development Month, celebrating the hardworking men and women of American construction who are instrumental in the development of our infrastructure.
CDOT is working on several roadway changes and mobility improvement projects in Chicago’s Jackson Park that will support the Obama Presidential Center and the Chicago Park District’s South Lakefront Framework Plan. The project will increase green space, improve connectivity and safety for people walking and biking, and accommodate future traffic demand.
The Partnership, CDOT, and F.H. Paschen are collaborating to bring these career-pathway jobs to Chicago, connecting local residents with construction jobs on the project. This collaboration aims to address today’s workforce shortage; the need to diversify the skilled trades where people of color and women have been historically underrepresented; and the need for career-ladder jobs with family wealth-building wages and benefits.
CDOT awarded a construction contract for the Jackson Park Transportation Improvements to F.H. Paschen, which is meeting the unprecedented workforce goals for area residents on this state-funded project, via IDOT’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program. The contract includes goals of hiring 15 percent of residents of neighborhoods adjacent to Jackson Park and 50 percent of Chicago residents. The project also provides opportunities for on-the-job training and creates pre-apprenticeships for local residents.
To apply for these positions, local area residents can go the project’s website: https://jacksonparkimprovements.org/jobs
About The Partnership
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) is a non-profit umbrella organization operating the public workforce system for the City of Chicago and Cook County.
The Partnership combines federal and philanthropic resources to provide comprehensive workforce development services to employers and job seekers. As the largest public workforce development system in the nation, The Partnership has helped place more than 70,000 individuals in employment; collaborated with more than 2,000 employers; and administered more than $400 million in federal and philanthropic funds. The Partnership’s network consists of 90+ community-based organizations, American Job Centers, satellite sites and sector-driven centers, serving more than 140,000 people annually. Learn more at www.chicookworks.org.