CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $15 million in funding for 33 organizations across Illinois for the Job Training and Economic Development Program (JTED). JTED provides workforce training and wrap-around services to help bolster equitable workforce recovery for Illinoisans struggling to gain meaningful employment. As part of Illinois' workforce recovery efforts, JTED grants focus on helping increase employment among workers and industries hardest hit by COVID-19.
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“As we continue to bounce back from the pandemic, my administration remains committed to an equitable workforce recovery that uplifts every worker and industry,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With an additional $15 million in funding for the Job Training and Economic Development Program, we’re providing even more Illinoisans with the skills and support they need to succeed. From revitalizing our healthcare and tourism industries to strengthening manufacturing and agriculture, we're building a workforce that's ready to power Illinois’ continued growth – leaving no one behind as we move forward.”
This second round of funding will address the economic impacts experienced by employers and individuals who are underemployed, unemployed, or underrepresented, who have one or more barriers to employment which are identified as risk factors. Priority populations include immigrants and refugees, justice-involved individuals, and rural residents.
“The Job Training and Economic Development Program equips our most vulnerable residents with essential skills they need to thrive in today's workforce,” saidLt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “By dissolving barriers and creating pathways to meaningful employment, we're not just aiding in recovery; we're building a resilient, skilled workforce that leaves no one behind.”
Grantee | Funding Amount |
African American Christian Foundation | $476,394 |
Angel of God Resource Center, Inc. | $562,500 |
Bella Ease | $193,037 |
Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 508; Wilbur Wright College | $510,742 |
Calumet Area Industrial Commission | $536,871 |
Chicago Women in Trades | $393,146 |
COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS, INC. | $571,202 |
County of Kankakee | $410,454 |
Homework Hangout Club, Inc. | $562,500 |
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District 529 | $547,853 |
Illinois Manufacturers' Association | $324,000 |
Inspiration Corporation | $561,194 |
Jane Addams Resource Corporation | $295,982 |
Litchfield CUSD 12 | $562,500 |
Metropolitan Family Services | $562,500 |
Midwest Asian Health Association | $525,000 |
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National Able Network, Inc. | $525,000 |
North Lawndale Employment Network | $518,664 |
OAI, Inc. | $537,513 |
One On One | $490,484 |
Openlands | $562,500 |
Phalanx Family Services | $562,247 |
Reset to Success Foundation d/b/a Midwest Career Source | $455,094 |
Rock Island County | $562,325 |
Skills for Chicagoland's Future | $341,410 |
Spero Family Services | $449,999 |
The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired | $370,839 |
Township High School District 214 | $235,985 |
Vision of Restoration, Inc. | $503,894 |
World Relief Corporation of National Association of Evangelicals | $281,250 |
Youth Job Center | $366,143 |
YWCA Metropolitan Chicago | $386,266 |
YWCA Northwestern Illinois | $562,500 |
“The continued success of the JTED program is a testament to the importance of intentional investments in Illinois’ world-class workforce,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “This funding will support services to underemployed, unemployed and underrepresented communities and provide individuals access to good paying job opportunities.”
JTED funding will continue to focus on hard hit sectors which have seen a labor shortage since the onset of the pandemic – such as manufacturing, agriculture, information technology, transportation distribution and logistics, architecture and construction, health care, and hospitality and tourism.
“All Illinoisans deserve the opportunity to succeed,” said House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston). “The JTED program has helped thousands of people across the state and this funding will only build on its vast impact, supporting the individuals who need it most.”
“The JTED program is essential to helping grow Illinois' outstanding workforce,” said Senator Mike Halpin (D- Rock Island). “When we give folks the tools they need to succeed, it not only creates a path of success for them and their families, it helps improve our state's economy.”
The State's JTED model boosts access to education, training and support services needed for vulnerable residents to successfully re-enter the labor force. Additionally, JTED offers flexible funding through Barrier Reduction services for individuals that have emergency costs for basic needs.
Through the first round of the JTED program, the State of Illinois invested $20 million in 44 community-based organizations that are currently serving 2,466 unemployed, underemployed, or underrepresented Illinoisans, with a special training focus on industries hardest-hit by the pandemic.
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