Community Partners Advancing Workforce Equity
Our mission at CJC is to reimagine the workforce system so all people can thrive through employment, and we do that with community and institutional leaders. Our workforce members are a part of that community.
As a partner organization committed to workforce development and gender equity in non-traditional careers, we had the opportunity to visit the Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT). During our visit, we learned about CWIT’s long-standing efforts to advance the participation, retention, and leadership of women in the skilled trades.
We met with program staff and CWIT's leadership, who are dedicated to preparing their trainees for careers in construction, welding, electrical work, and other union trades. CWIT's structured pre-apprenticeship programs, strong industry partnerships , and wrap-around support are creating career pathways for their trainees. It was evident that CWIT is not stepping back from creating equity and opportunity for all of its trainees.
The Chicago Jobs Council staff also had a recent site visit to member organization scaleLIT. We saw firsthand how scaleLIT is equipping learners and families with the tools they need to thrive. As a community-based organization (CBO), scaleLIT is a reminder of why CBOs matter—they bring local trust, cultural relevance, and deep community impact.
ScaleLIT has been working on connecting the workforce development system to the homeless response system. They are a member of the Employment and Income Task Force and have provided workforce services as a grantee of All Chicago in the Home Illinois Workforce Pilot. At Chicago Jobs Council, we’re committed to uplifting members like scaleLIT and defending the role of CBOs in creating equitable workforce pathways.
Our visits to CWIT and ScaleLIT remind us that equity in workforce development happens through intentional partnerships and community-rooted solutions. We're proud to support our members as they do this essential work, and we remain committed to strengthening the workforce ecosystem so that community-based organizations can continue to lead with expertise, trust, and impact.