CHICAGO – The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership (The Partnership), the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and F.H. Paschen are working together to create the talent pipeline needed to continue building a bright future for Chicago.

The construction industry remains a driver of economic growth. The third week in September is designated as Construction Appreciation Week, during Workforce Development Month, celebrating the hardworking men and women of American construction who are instrumental in development of our infrastructure.

CDOT is working on several roadway changes and mobility improvement projects in Chicago’s Jackson Park that will support the Obama Presidential Center and the Chicago Park District’s South Lakefront Framework Plan. The project will increase green space, improve connectivity and safety for people walking and biking, and accommodate future traffic demand.

The Partnership, CDOT and F.H. Paschen are collaborating to bring these career-pathway jobs to Chicago, connecting local residents with construction jobs on the project. This collaboration aims to address today’s workforce shortage; the need to diversify the skilled trades where people of color and women have been historically underrepresented; and the need for career-ladder jobs with family wealth building wages and benefits.

CDOT awarded a construction contract for the Jackson Park Transportation Improvements to F.H. Paschen, which is meeting the unprecedented workforce goals for area residents on this state-funded project, via IDOT’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program. The contract includes goals of hiring 15 percent of residents of neighborhoods adjacent to Jackson Park and 50 percent Chicago residents. The project also provides opportunities for on-the-job training and creates pre-apprenticeships for local residents.

To apply for these positions, local area residents can go the project’s website: https://jacksonparkimprovements.org/jobs