(CHICAGO)—Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) and World Business Chicago, today kick off a 5-week hybrid event, Hire Chicago, aimed at readying residents and employers for the post-pandemic, new economy.

Beginning today Monday, August 2 and running through September 2, Hire Chicago will connect Chicagoans to careers in high-growth industries today and/or connect to career counseling and training programs to ready for the jobs of tomorrow. Chicago employers are encouraged to sign up, participate, and gain access to our city’s diverse, skilled workforce.

Visit HireChicago2021.org and register. Each week in August will focus on jobs today and in the future, for the following industries. Virtual workshops and prescreening events will be held on Monday and Tuesdays each week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and virtual interviews on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is possible employers will extend conditional offers of employment during the event.

• Week 1– August 2: Manufacturing
• Week 2 –August 9: Food Service/Hospitality and Tourism
• Week 3– August 16: Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics
• Week 4– August 23: Healthcare
• Week 5– August 30: Information Technology

There is no cost.  Job seekers can participate in as many workshops or interviews with as many employers, as they desire, picking-and-choosing whatever fits best.

“The pandemic has changed us individually as people and collectively as a workforce,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “What worked in January 2020 no longer works for us today, as our priorities have shifted and our lifestyles have changed. Good-paying, sustainable jobs and careers are foundational to the success and happiness of our residents and I am proud to dedicate the month of August to making these employment opportunities as accessible as possible—especially for our underserved communities on the South and West Sides.”

HireChicago2021.org features images titled See Who You Can Be, reminding us that this post-pandemic time is an ideal point for a job seeker to reconsider his or her career based upon their needs today and goals for the future.

• If you loved making things with Legos as a child, that creativity could lead you to a successful career as a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) Machinist, manufacturing custom-created parts used in the Healthcare or Transportation sectors, or perhaps a career as Software Technician, Logistics Specialist, or Web Developer.
• If the kitchen is where you find joy, perhaps a career in the culinary arts or food production is for you. Chicago is the #1 city in the country for food manufacturing and production, and our Hospitality and Tourism industries fuel the local economy in large part due to unique and innovative cuisine from restaurants and stores of all types.
• If you are the person who always follows along, tracking GPS, perhaps Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (TDL) is the industry for you. Whether it’s moving food from farm to table or packages from warehouse to doorstep, maybe this is the sector for you.

“The economic downturn created by the pandemic disproportionately affected women and people of color both personally and professionally,” says Karin M. Norington-Reaves, CEO of The Partnership. “The economy is recovering, residents are ready to return to quality jobs, and employers are ready to rebuild their labor force.  We and our partners created Hire Chicago to enable job seekers to see the many opportunities they have to apply their skills and interests in fulfilling careers; and to help employers access the diverse talent pipeline they need to succeed.”

The idea for this five-week hiring event was born out of the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 Recovery Taskforce (RTF), created to advise city government as economic recovery efforts got underway in the wake of the pandemic. The RTF drafted a Change Study, which placed a sharp focus on the existing inequities in Chicago and the role those inequities play in deepening the impact of the crisis for many Chicagoans. Hire Chicago addresses many of the RTF’s recommendations, ranging from reimagining the region’s workforce infrastructure and creating a plan to invest in displaced and young workers,  to building on the region’s historic strength in manufacturing, to leading the re-imagination of regional tourism, travel.  The timing of Hire Chicago aligns in part with the early September expiration of pandemic-era extension of federal unemployment benefits and supplements in Illinois, as well as a return to in-person education in some of Chicago’s schools, which may allow some caregivers the opportunity to consider returning to employment.

“Chicago is primed to overcome business and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic and today we are well-positioned to be a driving force throughout the world,” said Michael Fassnacht, President & CEO, World Business Chicago, and Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago. “Hire Chicago is one example of our work driving an equitable recovery that benefits all, today focused on core industries that are deeply rooted, expanding and offer opportunities today and in the future.”

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About The Partnership

The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership) is a non-profit umbrella organization operating the public workforce system for the City of Chicago and Cook County. The Partnership combines federal and philanthropic resources to provide comprehensive workforce development services to employers and job seekers. As the largest public workforce development system in the nation, The Partnership has helped place more than 70,000 individuals in employment, collaborated with more than 2,000 employers, and administered more than $400 million in federal and philanthropic funds. The Partnership’s network consists of 90+ community-based organizations, American Job Centers, satellite sites, and sector-driven centers, serving more than 140,000 people annually. Learn more at www.chicookworks.org.

About World Business Chicago

World Business Chicago is the City of Chicago’s public-private economic development agency. Our mission is to drive inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports businesses, and promote Chicago as the leading global city to help existing Chicago companies expand and to also attract new companies. Our vision is to make Chicago the most business-friendly city in the world by becoming a role model for truly inclusive economic growth, ensuring that all Chicagoans prosper through equitable economic development.