CHICAGO — The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety is kicking off its 2025 workforce development initiative with the first People’s Plan Hiring Event in West Garfield Park in partnership with City Colleges of Chicago, Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership, and other local workforce development partners to expand the Johnson administration’s commitment to connecting residents to resources and sustainable employment opportunities in Chicago’s most historically disinvested communities.  

 “Access to opportunities and resources for upward mobility is a cornerstone of our administration’s approach to community safety,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By addressing the root causes of violence through career pathway interventions, we continue proving the value of investing in people to create lasting stability in our neighborhoods.” 

 The previous MOCS hiring event in November 2024 at Kennedy-King College demonstrated substantial success. Over 900 attendees connected with approximately three dozen diverse employers, including city departments, hiring approximately 150 job seekers on-site. Mayor Johnson’s commitment to anti-violence employment programming aligns with the vision outlined in the People’s Plan for Community Safety, which recognizes socioeconomic advancement as fundamental to creating safer communities. 

 “The hiring fair is a great opportunity for Chicagoans to showcase their talent, explore training programs and connect to careers in in-demand fields,” said Stacia Edwards, Deputy Provost, City Colleges of Chicago. “City Colleges is a proud partner to the People's Plan and the collective work of supporting Chicagoans in building generational wealth and thriving communities.” 

 “We know that having a career, and the upward mobility that it provides, is an important factor in violence prevention and ensuring community safety,” said George Wright, CEO of The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. “We are proud to produce this event for the city and the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, as the lead of the public workforce development network in Chicago and suburban Cook County.” 

 The People's Plan Hiring Event will be on March 20, 2025, at the JLM Abundant Life Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and will feature:  

• KRA Corporation partnering to connect businesses and qualified job seekers on site  
• Community violence prevention organizations offering supportive resources 
• Representatives from over 20 employers including:  
• Coca-Cola 
• Chicago Police Department 
• BMO Harris Bank 
• Illinois Tollway 
• Illinois Department of Transportation 
• United States Postal Service 
• Bally’s Casino 

 Registration for the hiring event is required and available in both English and Spanish. 

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Mayor’s Office of Community Safety  

The Mayor’s Office of Community Safety (MOCS) is committed to investing intentionally in people and communities through the full force of government and a community-driven approach that aims to: systemically promote community safety by addressing root causes, rapidly response to specific community safety challenges through trauma-informed and community-based interventions. For more information on MOCS, visit our website at https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/community-safety/home.html.