Program areas at SCF
Core: the mission of Skills for Chicagoland's Future is to create demand-driven solutions for employers to get the under and unemployed back to work. Our guiding north star is to increase the economic mobility of under- and unemployed talent by connecting them to quality jobs through our deep partnership and understanding of the unique human capital needs of our network of engaged employers. The majority of Skills' candidates come from chicago neighborhoods characterized by disinvestment, chronic under and unemployment, low rates of economic mobility, higher than average poverty rates, and limited resources. Skills operates offices on the south and west sides to increase access to local residents looking for work, in addition to collaborating with community-based organizations and workforce agencies.
Community based organization collective:the cbo collective (cboc) is a workforce development initiative co-founded by cara collective and Skills in 2021; this collaborative of 16 workforce development organizations is working to better connect hiring demand with black and brown talent through a collective workforce development approach.
National expansion:national expansion, also known as Skills for america's Future, is an initiative of Skills that is focused on replicating the Skills' model in target cities across the country. In december 2022, Skills joined with the greater phoenix chamber foundation to announce the launch of "connect to work az, powered by Skills for america's Future" as part of its national expansion campaign. A new cohort of affiliates will launch in 2024.
Career access:career access (formerly known as beyond the diploma) programs target unemployed and underemployed participants seeking middle-skill roles, for which they may need an industry-recognized credential including - licenses, certificates, and certifications.