Chicagoland Workforce Development Symposium

Bringing Us Together in a Changing Landscape
 

Date: Friday, September 23, 2022
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Reception to follow until 6:00 PM
Location: Malcolm X College*
Cost: $30
There has been a lot of excitement about the Symposium, and we have reached capacity. There will be no walk-ins for the event.
We will however have a larger venue if the event continues next year.
 

*The event is in-person and a hybrid option is not available. Masks will be required during the event.
*Parking is complimentary, but will need to be validated at the security desk

The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, World Business Chicago, Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, and Chicago Jobs Council, are partnering together to host the Chicagoland Workforce Development Symposium – a new forum designed for workforce development practitioners whose work plays a critical role across the Chicagoland area.

The Symposium will examine local and national trends in policies, practices, and partnerships that impact workforce development. It will be a day of learning with sessions dedicated to the discussion of the current workforce landscape.

Symposium Content

Keynote: Brent Parton, Acting Assistant Secretary, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

Plenary Panel: The State of Our Workforce - The labor market has been in constant flux the last few years, and it can be hard to know what is a trend and what is only temporary. Listen to local, state, and national experts as they share the latest research and their institutional insight into the current state of the workforce and what they see as the most significant challenges and opportunities for the Chicagoland workforce ecosystem.

Breakout: An Anti-Racist Workforce Development Framework for Our System - This interactive session will highlight policy changes Chicago Jobs Council is advocating for to reduce racial disparities in employment and showcase how they are building capacity for community-based providers who work with job seekers marginalized by racism, including the Career Readiness Framework, their most recent research and development project.

Breakout: Good Jobs Chicago: An Infrastructure of Employer-Led Workforce Collaborations - Employers throughout Chicagoland are coming together through sector partnerships and other employer convenings to tackle their shared workforce problems. These collaborations are a positive space for employers and community partners to share ideas and information, pull resources, and create innovative solutions to persistent problems. This panel of employers and community partners will share why they engage with a sector partnership, what is necessary for a successful convening, and what they think are the most favorable outcomes of their collaborative work.

Plenary Panel: Highlighting Employer Champions: Finding a Better Way to Do Business - Employers have always been viewed as a vital part of workforce success, but they have not always been engaged as the changemakers they have the power to be. This panel of employer champions will discuss how they found a new way to do business that is better for their organization, workers, and communities. Learn what employer practice changes have worked for local companies, what motivated these employers to take action, and how the workforce system can encourage other employers to do the same.

Plus, a choice of six workshops ranging from College and Career Pathways for Young Adults to Amplifying Worker Power and Voice.

Content subject to change. Detailed agenda will be provided at the event.

We look forward to seeing you!