Welcome to Good Jobs Chicagoland
Empowering Our Community, One Job at a Time
What is Good Jobs Chicagoland?
Empowering Chicago's Workforce through Strategic Partnerships and Sector-Specific Training for Sustainable Economic Growth
In August of 2022, The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership received an $18.5 million U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) Good Jobs Challenge grant for employer-led workforce development. Chicagoland’s proposal, submitted with the support and assistance of the City of Chicago, World Business Chicago and suburban Cook County, was one of 32 awardees out of 509 applications.
The EDA launched the $500 million Good Jobs Challenge to get Americans into quality jobs by building and strengthening systems and partnerships, bringing together employers who have hiring needs with other key entities to train workers with in-demand skills that lead to good-paying jobs.
The winning proposal, dubbed Good Jobs Chicagoland, is an employer-led, community driven initiative to promote economic resiliency and growth for Chicago and suburban Cook County. The region enjoys strong, proven, and ready-to-scale sector partnerships for Health Care; Information Technology; Manufacturing; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL). Good Jobs Chicagoland creates durable, resilient talent pipelines through to mid-level jobs, linking Chicagoland’s un/underemployed residents into jobs that pay family wealth-building wages. Good Jobs Chicagoland is focused on meeting the needs of communities suffering from intergenerational poverty exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly on the South and West sides of Chicago and suburban Cook County.
Building Futures Together
Collaborative Powerhouses for Workforce Excellence
Meet our sector backbone partners, the driving forces behind our collective mission to transform Chicagoland's workforce landscape.
Manufacturing backbone: The Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, the lead convener of the successful south suburban collaborative, the Calumet Manufacturing Industry Sector Partnership.
Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics backbone: Olive-Harvey College, a member of the City Colleges of Chicago system, which serves 77,000 students annually, in partnership with YWCA, The Partnership’s WIOA sector center for TDL, works together in leveraging existing programs, employer advisory committees, and employer partnerships.
Health care backbone: Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, Illinois’s leading health workforce research and policy organization, houses a coalition of 12 of Chicago’s major health systems and more than a dozen strategic partners.
Information Technology backbone: P33, staffs the Chicago Tech Talent Alliance, composed of more than 50 businesses that collaborate on joint talent solutions.
Empowering Employers
Why Should You Be a Part of Good Jobs Chicagoland?
Good Jobs Chicagoland advances reskilling in key sectors until 2025, offering employers ongoing opportunities to enhance workforce skills and drive growth.
Launch Faster
Cut launch timelines with GJC's efficient support.
Onboard Quicker
Smooth onboarding of apprentices with GJC assistance.
Reduce Costs
Save on training costs with GJC's upskilling programs.
Inclusive Effort
Embrace talent from varied backgrounds, including non-degree pathways.
Chicagoland: Where Talent Meets Opportunity
Whether you're an employer who wants to make a great hire or a job seeker looking for a career opportunity, Good Jobs Chicagoland is your bridge to success.
Dive into high-growth sectors, receive comprehensive training, and build a future beyond just a paycheck. Join us in reshaping Chicago's economic landscape.
