For Immediate Release

The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership Receives Facebook Investment to Boost Efforts for Chicago Codes

50 Chicago Codes Participants Will Receive Scholarships from Facebook

CHICAGO – (JUNE 20, 2018) The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership), today, announced Facebook will provide 50 scholarships for students to participate in coding boot camps offered through the Chicago Codes initiative to learn web and mobile development.

Chicago Codes will spark access to technology careers for Chicago’s untapped talent in the City’s most underserved communities,” said Karin M. Norington-Reaves CEO of The Partnership. “Our ultimate goal is to diversify the technology workforce while fostering economic empowerment through employment.”

This initiative aims to help small businesses and people acquire more digital skills, to help companies grow and people find new jobs. Facebook is partnering with community members, which includes local colleges and training partners such as The Partnership.

Just two weeks ago, Facebook announced a pledge to train 1 million people and small businesses in digital skills by 2020. In addition to working with The Partnership, Facebook will collaborate with City Colleges to expand its digital marketing curriculum and training with new resources to help graduates offer immediate value to businesses in their local communities and around the world.

“We realize Facebook is working with partners around the nation and we are proud The Partnership is among them,” finished Norington-Reaves.

Chicago Codes is scheduled to kick off in the fall of 2018. For more information about The Partnership and its initiatives please visit us online at workforceboard.org or call us at (312) 603-0200.

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.