Exciting Times for the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance

By
by Molly Baltman-Leonard, Assistant Director/Grantmaking, Communities Program

In May 2017, the Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance, a collaboration of foundations and corporate funders focused on employment equity, received a $1 million personal gift from President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The Obama’s donation will support an effort to open apprenticeship pathways into the building trades for adults, especially young adults, who have been underrepresented in the trades sector.

In partnership with the Obama Foundation, the Chicago Jobs Council, and a variety of other foundations and corporate partners, the Obamas’ gift will help to identify and solve workforce challenges within the Building Trade Sector such as:

  • Capturing better data on diversity and inclusion.
  • Coordinating leadership from "construction buyers" to support shared solutions and track progress in the sector as a whole.
  • Designing and supporting effective career pathways for young adults to access jobs and apprenticeships as alternatives to four-year higher-education institutions.

Formed in 2012, the Funder Alliance collaborates with employers and other workforce stakeholders to increase employment, earnings, and race equity for underprepared workers in the Chicago region. The Alliance is built on the notion that a skilled workforce creates more successful businesses, more stable families, and a stronger economy. As one of its shining beacons, Matthew Bruce believes, “workforce development is at its core community development, because with a strong labor force a community can invest in itself and thrive.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saving Local Businesses in Greater Englewood

By
Image
For 36 years, Tess Porter has owned and managed Tess’ Style Shop at the intersection of Garfield Boulevard and South Ashland Avenue. She’s seen iconic, name-brand businesses — signs with golden arches and burger crowns — come and go. She’s seen children walk by, stop in, grow up and have their own children do the same. She’s hired locally, given generously and waved at thousands of passers-by as she reinvested, time and again, into her business. Everyone knows that Tess’ Style Shop is the place to go in Englewood for beauty and grooming services and supplies, for women and men, behind big, plate-glass windows. Everyone including looters, who in the heat of the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, broke Tess’ beautiful big windows, entered her store and ravaged it terribly. “It was heartbreaking. I cried,” said Tess. “It was hard because I’ve been here a long time. I felt like they not only should have known who I am, but that they should’ve had a little bit more respect fo
Read more

Creating Opportunities for Youth in Little Village

By
Image
For over 30 years, Central States SER, a workforce development and education organization in Little Village, has helped thousands of individuals achieve their academic and career goals to improve their quality of life. For Youth Program Manager Adrean Vargas, his connection to the organization spans back to his own youth. “I grew up in Pilsen with these types of afterschool programs, including Saturday and summer school programs. They were my life saviors, my escape and where I felt safe,” said Adrean, who participated in GED programming at SER as a teenager. “Being part of the LGBTQ community, I made it my mission to create those safe spaces for people like me who need an escape from home. My job is to make a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable.” SER works with individuals of all age ranges, as it offers various workforce development programs, such as job training and financial coaching, and youth programs ranging from mentorship to summer employment for teens. “As th
Read more

Securing Meaningful Careers for Chicago Veterans

By
Image
by Megan Everett, Director, Veterans Program There are a lot of misconceptions about veterans. PTSD or on the brink of committing suicide. Physically aggressive. Broken heroes. The list goes on and on. Veteran-stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. And like most stereotypes they are not true. The reality is most veterans are neither heroes nor broken, they are normal people looking to lead happy lives, have loving families, and obtain meaningful, successful careers. Sadly, this is not reality that most veterans face when returning from service. According to a recent survey issued by the University of Southern California and Loyal University of Chicago, Chicago veterans are unprepared for the shift from military to civilian workforce, and, consequently struggle during the transition process. The study also showed about half of post-9/11 veterans, returning to Chicago, will experience a period of unemployment. Here’s the thing — veterans ARE trained leaders for whom account
Read more