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.

Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones joined three others leaders from around the United States to testify in DC in front of the HELP full committee for the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. Read more about where we are now, as well as an update on House Bill 277 Failure to Appear.

We are saying goodbye to two beloved board members, Annita Jenke and Sheryl Homan, whom we honored at our annual meeting.

This event gathered experts to discuss aligning policies to effectively address and dismantle systemic racism in the workforce development space.

Recent feedback from CRC users praises the robust nature of the curriculum and highlights its ability to be customized.

The CWFA and CJC are committed to continuing this collaboration and are planning part two of the Funder Series for the next fiscal year.

On June 14th, we celebrated a great year and some major CJC accomplishments, such as the passing of House Bill 277 and CEO Dr. Lisa Bly-Jones testimony on Capitol Hill. The theme was reframing the narratives around workforce development and learning to think through a different lens regarding how we provide services, starting with more intentional collaboration.

On March 20th, the Chicago Jobs Council (CJC) hosted the second conversation as part of its Community of Practice series. This iteration, titled ‘Centering Lived Experience in Equity Policy Development,' focused on including and amplifying formerly incarcerated people's experiences in policymaking. The conversation brought together people from different workforce development organizations committed to reshaping their approach to workforce equity to better the workforce ecosystem.

The Chicago Jobs Council envisions a new workforce system centered on equity for all workers and job seekers. One of our policy planks is Eliminating Barriers to Employment, and a significant barrier to employment is stable and affordable housing. Bring Chicago Home, a referendum on March 19th’s primary ballot, allows Chicagoans to advocate for housing security and resources to connect people to employment, training, and other supportive wraparound services.

The Chicago Jobs Council commends the Governor for prioritizing workforce development in the FY25 budget address. The budget allocates more workforce development funds than the previous year, with investments across various programs and agencies.

On January 24th, 2024, the Chicago Jobs Council hosted the first of a three-part series of Policy Community of Practice events. Held at CJC’s downtown office, the gathering aimed to provide a collaborative space for the co-creation of innovative and inclusive policy designs.

A lot has happened in the last twenty years. In that time, we’ve worked with thousands of direct service providers, including through a recession and a pandemic. From our modest beginning of hosting a "brown bag" workshop series, CJC has grown to be the premier entity in the Midwest region dedicated to strengthening and developing the skills of the workforce development field through professional training opportunities. Here are a few highlights from our twentieth year of building capacity in the field of workforce development.

The end of a year is a good time for reflection, while also providing an opportunity to look ahead. It’s a time to look back on the year and see what we dared to tackle, what we were able to advance, and determine what more we must do. It’s a time to connect and enjoy colleagues and friends we work closely with and those who we didn’t see as often as we would have liked. 

As 2024 approaches, the rollout of the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) is picking up speed. CJC’s EEC/EEP Roundtable was held on November 20th, 2023, and the event served as a platform for a comprehensive exploration of efforts to strengthen EEC and EEP participation in CEJA programs.

One of Chicago Jobs Council’s policy and advocacy planks is Changing Systems. As employment services often don't align well with the needs of people experiencing homelessness, we work with Chicago's homeless-response system to make jobs more accessible.

As workforce development practitioners and educators, our primary responsibility is to build and strengthen our communities. One of the ways we do this is through providing Career Readiness training. Career Readiness can help job seekers continually build on their existing skills and attributes, thus helping them navigate the workforce arena.

On Tuesday October 17th, CJC celebrated with members, partners, and supporters at our Fall Fundraiser at Midwest Coast Brewing for a night of casual fun and networking with guests from across the field of workforce development

In 2023, the Illinois General Assembly introduced several bills that align with the mission of the Chicago Jobs Council. These bills aim to promote equity, pathways, and the development of a robust workforce ecosystem. With the Illinois General Assembly’s Fall Veto session this week, this policy brief summarizes some of these bills, including others not on the Skills Agenda, from the perspective of the Chicago Jobs Council, aiming to present their importance and benefits.

Chicago Jobs Council was pleased to be a partner of the Second Annual Chicagoland Workforce Development Symposium hosted by Malcolm X College on October 12th, 2023. The theme of the event was Moving Equity from Concept to Reality. It was a day of engaging dialogues, stimulating panel discussions, and thought-provoking content for the workforce development ecosystem made up of practitioners, philanthropy, employers, government agencies, community-based organizations, and a host of others.

On September 26, 2023, CJC embarked on a journey to share its Anti-Racist Workforce Development System Framework with community and institutional leaders.