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Regional Initiatives

About the Regional Focus:

The Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago recognize that the economic vitality of each individual area is impacted by cross-geographic issues, and that geographic boundaries are often meaningless to businesses, residents and economic development entities. Thus, they also realize the importance of collaboration to produce greater impact across the region.

Current Activities/Outcomes of Regional Initiatives:

Industry Sector Strategies -

• National and Regional Recognition: At the 2002 and 2003 National Association of Workforce Boards Conference, the Workforce Boards were selected to deliver a presentation on its innovative sector-driven approach in addition to a presentation about the overall efforts of the Workforce Boards. Over the past year, regional and national requests for presentations have been increasing and are focused on the regional agenda and how to "Take Workforce Boards to the Next Level."
• Industry Summits and Summit Follow-up: The Industry Summits address six targeted industries and are designed to foster sector-driven workforce development and economic development activities in the region. The Workforce Boards provide staff support to Action Teams that are formed to follow-up on Summit recommendations.
• Hard-to-Fill Jobs Survey: This project is designed to gather industry-specific information about hard-to-fill jobs by sector in the region. An analysis of employer survey results will provide a basis for targeting resources to address skills gaps associated with hard-to-fill jobs.

Youth/Education -

• Manufacturing NOW: Recognizing the potential impact of the regional efforts of the Workforce Boards, the 3M corporation donated 2800 career awareness videotapes and tool kits for education facilitators to the eight Youth Councils of the Region. In the fall and winter of 2001, "Manufacturing NOW" career awareness tool kits were distributed to every middle and secondary school in the region.
• Leave No Child Behind — A Digital Crossroads: This luncheon was convened by the region's Youth Councils in April 2002. This event featured guest speaker Carlene Ellis, Vice President and Director of Diversity and Education for Intel, who shared information on Intel Corporation's programs that support development of math, science, and technology skills of young people. More than 125 representatives of business, education and community organizations were in attendance.
• Youth Resource Mapping: Under the guidance of a regional Youth Steering Committee, this project will provide information to support the agendas of Youth Councils through the compilation of career and employment preparation programs and services available to youth. The information will be available on this web site and will provide a framework for identifying gaps in services and developing strategies for addressing those gaps.
• You're the Key: A Regional Youth Council Forum: This event, convened in November 2002, brought together 175 educators, youth providers, and business leaders from throughout the region to focus on strategies for preparing youth for the current and future workforce needs of various industries and increasing the availability of career awareness and development activities available to the region¹s youth. This event was not only highly rated by the business attendees but resulted in replication of Intel's Teach to the Future model in Will County.

Regionalism/Workforce Issues -

• 2003 State of the Workforce Report for the Metropolitan Chicago Region: The regional community audit, conducted with the oversight of a Regional Steering Committee, has provided the Workforce Boards and their partners with an unprecedented, comprehensive regional labor market information resource and analysis. Equipped with this knowledge, the Workforce Boards and their constituents now understand how the economic prosperity of the City of Chicago, counties and municipalities within the region area are interconnected and interdependent. The community audit process resulted in development of local and regional State of the Workforce Reports and Executive Summaries. These reports present an analysis of the labor market and identify workforce development and economic development opportunities and challenges.
• Strategic Action Plan: Based on the priorities and recommendations identified in the regional State of the Workforce Report, the Workforce Boards will establish two or three specific areas to address collectively as a region. The action plan will identify strategies and a timetable for addressing those priority areas.
• Transportation Clearinghouse: Employer feedback groups identified serious issues with the Chicago metro region's public transportation system and its impact on their ability to access a larger pool of workers within the region. As a result, the Workforce Boards pursued funding for a regional Transportation Clearinghouse. The Federal Transit Administration and the Regional Transportation Authority financed the establishment of a Transportation Clearinghouse. This project focuses on the identification of existing nontraditional transportation services that can supplement the public transportation system and provides this information to employers and workforce system stakeholders for use with current and prospective employees in identifying transportation solutions.

One-Stop System Development -

• Curriculum Development: Through this project, sector specific curricula addressing the manufacturing and health industries will be developed for one-stop staff delivering business services. The curriculum will enable staff to work with and provide services to these industries more effectively by fully understanding qualification and skill requirements for in-demand jobs as well as the unique characteristics of industry employers and the obstacles they face in accessing skilled workers.

Workforce Boards -

• Communications and Marketing: Project activities are aimed at establishing the Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago as an entity that supports business and economic development, connects business and education, and develops the emerging workforce through regional activities. Communication materials and the web site developed through this initiative are designed to foster collaboration and joint ventures among various workforce development and economic development organizations.
• Business Plan Development: As the regional relationship of the nine Workforce Boards evolves and activities increase, it is becoming more and more apparent that the consortium needs to be formalized. This project will assist the Workforce Boards in defining the mission, goals and purpose of a regional Workforce Board association; identifying goals of the association; and developing a business plan to support its implementation and operation.