Opportunity Chicago is a story of collaboration. The new public-private partnerships forged through the initiative have been instrumental to its success. Launched in 2006 by the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), the City of Chicago, and The Partnership for New Communities, this triad has committed $27.5 million and untold hours to developing programs and strengthening systems that help public housing residents move toward economic self-sufficiency through quality, career-path employment. The initiative is coordinated and facilitated by the Chicago Jobs Council, a coalition of community-based training organizations, advocacy groups, businesses and individuals working toward ensuring access to employment and career advancement opportunities for people living in poverty.

From the beginning, Opportunity Chicago engaged a team of strategic advisors − workforce development leaders from city and state agencies, private foundations and nonprofit organizations − who have provided invaluable expertise to help guide and shape the initiative’s strategies. Opportunity Chicago’s successes would not have been possible without the advisors’ willingness to take risks, learn from failure, persist and aim higher – even in the face of the toughest economic climate in decades.

These unique partnerships were critical to Opportunity Chicago surpassing its goal of helping 5,000 residents prepare for and find employment in five years. The strategic advisors continue to inform the initiative’s efforts to improve Chicago’s workforce development system, making it better equipped to support all low-skilled, low-income job seekers beyond the life of Opportunity Chicago.

Strategic Advisers

Members of Opportunity Chicago’s Strategic Advisers Group include:

Annie E. Casey Foundation
Chicago Department of Community Development
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
Chicago Housing Authority
Chicago Workforce Investment Council / Chicago Workforce Board
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
City Colleges of Chicago
City of Chicago, Office of the Mayor
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
The Partnership for New Communities
U.S. Department of Labor
Women Employed

Many additional individuals and organizations were involved in working groups that developed strategies for specific components of the initiative – such as employer engagement, data collection, service delivery and policy advocacy and sustainability – and stayed involved to monitor progress. Their involvement was critical to Opportunity Chicago's success.

Investors

Financial support for Opportunity Chicago has come from both private and public sources. Through The Partnership for New Communities, a funder collaborative structured as a donor-advised fund of The Chicago Community Foundation, private funding as well as some public resources are pooled to support Opportunity Chicago. This funding structure has allowed for greater flexibility than would normally be possible, allowing funds to flow to where they are most needed, when they are needed, while still being subject to careful financial oversight. In the end, the initiative surpassed its fundraising goal of $23 million.

Opportunity Chicago’s funders include:

Bank of America
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
Chicago Housing Authority
ComEd, an Exelon Company
Harris Bank
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
Living Cities
The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation
McCormick Foundation
National Fund for Workforce Solutions
Peoples Gas
Polk Bros. Foundation
State of Illinois
State Street Foundation-State Street Global Advisors
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Labor

Workforce Development Partners

Together with its workforce development partners – community-based organizations that carried out programs and training – Opportunity Chicago developed a range of programs and services to address the specific needs and challenges common to public housing residents. Throughout the course of the initiative, these providers and Opportunity Chicago leaders continually assessed and refined the programs to make them as effective as possible. Workforce development partners are listed below, followed by several examples of Opportunity Chicago training and education programs.

Association House
Career Advancement Network
City Colleges of Chicago
Central States SER
EDSI (ServiceWorks)
Employment & Employer Services
Harborquest
Heartland Human Care Services
Jobs for Youth
Manpower Tech Reach
ManufacturingWorks
National Able Network
North Lawndale Employment Network
TEC Services
Women Employed

Association House of Chicago (Transitional Jobs Program):

The Achievement Club provides job readiness training to help individuals set and reach educational, training, employment and financial goals. Association House offers a transitional jobs program in partnership with the Salvation Army. Additionally, through its Vocational Bridge Academy, individuals prepare for office careers in the Office Technology Program and participate in job readiness training, financial workshops and placement assistance through a Center for Working Families.

Central States SER – Jobs for Progress, Inc. (Bridge Program):

The Healthcare Bridge Program helps residents develop skills essential for a successful transition to the healthcare field. The program’s curriculum builds skills in writing, reading skills, language, and mathematics as well as introduces participants to the healthcare field itself and key medical terminology. After (and/or during) the completion of the training program, residents receive help finding employment as Certified Nursing Assistants and then as Personal Care Technicians.

CHA Workforce Initiative (Transitional Jobs):

Employment & Employer Services (EES), Heartland Human Care Services (HHCS), Central States SER (SER) and TEC Services (TEC) provide transitional jobs programs that take participants through a sequence of activities leading to permanent employment: job readiness training, placement in subsidized employment, placement in unsubsidized employment, and employment retention services. The agencies also provide adult education, contextualized literacy, and customer service trainings along the way. While in a subsidized placement, participants earn at least the State of Illinois hourly minimum wage, and each agency provides a form of compensation (e.g. hourly wage, stipend) for participation in the additional program components.

Though they have common components, each organization's program model is unique. In addition to the year-round transitional job program, HHCS provides transitional jobs to approximately 100 participants per year for CHA’s Summer Food Program and to over 20 individuals in the green energy efficiency field. Leveraging a Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) grant, TEC provides various office-related computer software programs and preparatory skills trainings for careers in the Information Technology sector. Through the transitional jobs program, TEC will enhance its social enterprise model and also place participants in technology- based positions after they complete training. EES utilizes its extensive network of employer relationships to place participants in subsidized and unsubsidized jobs, and SER focuses its efforts primarily on the Customer Service industry sector.

City Colleges of Chicago (Bridge Program, Associate Degree Programs)

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) offers a variety of Career Programs in addition to more traditional Associate Degree programs. Career Programs are offered at a variety of skill levels for individuals who want to acquire the technical-occupational skills necessary to enter the workforce. Healthcare, hospitality, culinary arts and transportation are just a few of the industries for which students can earn state- and industry-recognized credentials, making them more marketable to employers. CCC also offers GED, ESL and Bridge Programs for those who need to improve their reading and math skills while preparing to enter the workforce.

ManufacturingWorks, operated by Instituto del Progreso Latino (Customized Training):

ManufacturingWorks helps residents find careers in manufacturing. Depending on skill levels and work experience, individuals may be eligible for bridge and advanced certification programs in Computer Numeric Controls, Machining and Industrial Maintenance and forklift certification.

ServiceWorks, operated by EDSI (Customized Training):

ServiceWorks is a sector-based demand-driven center that offers customized training designed to enhance the performance of service industry employers. ServiceWorks provides career-exploration, skills-training, industry-certification and job-placement opportunities for job seekers interested in careers in the service industries.

Workforce Investment Act (Job Readiness and Placement Services):

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services made available through Mayor Daley’s WorkNet Chicago network of providers help residents find and keep quality employment. WIA services are divided into three levels known as core, intensive, and training. Core and intensive services are offered to job seekers through a self-service center. Core services include access to job listings, resume and interview preparation materials, career-planning and self-exploration tools, information on available education and training, and information and referrals to other services they may be eligible for. Additional, more intensive services are available to individuals based upon their need.