Location: Monroe Street,  Springfield (near the north entrance of the Capitol)

Join advocates and supporters in a rally and lobby day in support of an increase to Illinois’ minimum wage. The bill calls for an incremental increase in the state’s minimum wage over the next three years. This increase will help low-wage workers with their day-to-day expenses, stimulate local economies, and create jobs as demand for goods and services go up.

Supporters will meet on Monroe Street near the north entrance of the Illinois State Capitol. Group organizers are suggesting that participants wear something red in order to stand out and recognize fellow supporters.

For more information, please contact Steve Simmons (steve@cjc.net)

The report shows that — in spite of an economic imperative to invest in the skills of our workforce — only $290 per resident living in poverty is available from public sources for workforce development services.

The report highlights that 69% of the region’s public funding for workforce development services stems from federal sources – a noteworthy figure given the steep reductions in federal funding for workforce development over the past several years. Current Congressional recommendations to continue to reduce or eliminate workforce programs are alarming.

The report analyzes a broad spectrum of workforce development-related programs across three categories: Adult Education & Literacy; Job Readiness & Job Placement; and Occupational Training. The diversity of programs means residents with a range of workforce development and career advancement needs can be served. As a “second chance” system for those who have not yet succeed in traditional education systems, the region’s economy depends on the workforce development system to be responsive to the unique yet diverse needs of the lowest-skilled.

The report is a reminder that the metropolitan Chicago region has limited funding to ensure that all residents, especially those with the lowest skills, can gain skills and get on a career pathway. Advocates, policy makers, and other stakeholders must focus on investment in workforce services and training, so that no one is left behind in the current challenging labor market.

To download a copy of the report, click here. For more information on the report, its methodology, and findings, please contact Megan Winzeler, megan@cjc.net.

Location: Union League Club of Chicago -  65 W. Jackson, Chicago -  Main Lounge

The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability invites you to join us for a symposium covering the biggest issues confronting Illinois today, how state fiscal policy impacts both the Illinois economy generally and income inequality specifically.  Join our panelists for a lively discussion on the politics and policy imperatives involved in these crucial issues.  Josh Bivens, Acting Research and Policy Director at the  Economic Policy Institute, will be the keynote speaker for the event. 

For more information and to register, click here. To download a copy of the registration form, click here.

Location: County Building—118 N. Clark Street, Chicago – Board Room (569)

Cook County Works Program Review—state and federal regulations require annual review of the workforce program—to ensure that workforce development programs are meeting the needs of both the employer and the job-seeker. A public hearing will be conducted in accordance with state and federal regulations, to review and discuss the status of the Cook County Works Program.

Registration to speak is available online by clicking here. You can also provide your name and the name of your organization to the Secretary to the Board (County Building at 118 North Clark Street, Room 567, Chicago) or via phone: 312-603-6127. Registration will also be available on-site the day of the meeting.

Each organization will be limited to one speaker and a 3 minute testimony. Speakers are requested to submit 30 copies of any written statement to the committee.

For more information on the hearing, click here.

The policies tested were:

• the creation of a statewide Transitional Jobs program
• an increase in the TANF cash grant,
• an increase in the TANF participation rate,
• an expansion of rental housing subsidies,
• new two year community college scholarships,

Amongst these policies, a statewide transitional jobs program of 40,000 people was shown to have the greatest impact in alleviating both poverty and extreme poverty.  Implementing multiple policies at the same time has the greatest impact, but for workforce development advocates this is more evidence for increased investment in transitional jobs programs.  Check out the report and spread it far and wide.

The Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty, established in 2008, set a goal of cutting extreme poverty (which is defined as being below 50 percent of the poverty threshold) in half by 2015. For more on the Commission, click here.

Location: Arturo Velasquez Institute – 2800 S. Western Avenue, Chicago

Five years ago, the Chicagoland Green Collar Jobs Initiative was started by a group of leaders in our region who committed to making our communities a hub for environmentally sustainable economic development while ensuring access to these new, green jobs for historically disadvantaged populations.

Since 2007, the Chicagoland region has experienced many successes related to green economic and community development including a proliferation of green jobs training programs for workers from the most severely disadvantaged groups, and environmental issues becoming a primary item on political agendas both in the City of Chicago and municipalities in the surrounding counties. However, these achievements have happened against a very challenging economic backdrop: we have faced the most significant recession since the Great Depression, the unemployment rate has risen steadily, and there has been a marked decrease in federal investments for economic and workforce development projects.  So, while we have collectively accomplished a great deal in the past five years, there is much more work to do.

This year’s summit is about developing targeted action plans that we hope will help guide the region in the future given our current challenges and the new political landscape.

For more information and to register for this year’s summit, click here.

Location: Bank of America – 135 S. LaSalle, 43rd Floor, Chicago

Please join the Chicago Jobs Council to hear from transitional jobs (TJ) program participants, learn key findings from recent TJ research, and participate in a discussion to inform CJC’s TJ-related advocacy agenda.

Advanced registration is required. For more information and to register, click here.

Location: Quad County Urban League – 1685 North Farnsworth Avenue, Aurora

Featured speaker includes Lisa Williams of the Illinois Tollway Authority. For more information, please contact Steve Simmons.

Location: Metropolitan Family Services – 222 East Willow Avenue, Wheaton – Conference Rooms A & B

For more information, please contact Crispina Ojeda.

Location: Sertoma Centre, Inc. – 4100 W. 127th Street, Alsip

The White House Council for Community Solutions, created by President Obama in December 2010, is focused on communities to join together to connect young people to education, employment, and ongoing civic participation.

United Way has launched a series of community conversations around the country. The conversations will be with community leaders and everyday people to identify ways that their communities can come together to ensure opportunities for a better life for all young people, especially at-risk and disconnected youth.

For more information, click here.