Illinois Workforce Advantage
description
Transcript of Illinois Workforce Advantage
Illinois Workforce Advantage
Value-Added Strategies to Strengthen CommunitiesGovernor George H. Ryan
Illinois Workforce Advantage (IWA) Mission
To make targeted, distressed communities in Illinois better places for parents to raise children.
An IWA Premise
Communities that thrive are those capable of creating sound strategies for their revitalization and building effective partnerships with government and business organizations for carrying out their plans.
Innovative Approach for State Government
Supporting and strengthening community revitalization projects requires that state agencies learn to collaborate with one another around place-based strategies.
Communities are Distressed, People are Resilient High rates of poverty Dedicated leaders High unemployment rates Entrepreneurial energy High dropout rates Parents devoted to kids
IWA Bridges Communities and State Organizations
Local Working Groups
IWA Subcabinet
State Universities
Anchor Institutions: Vitally Important to Communities
Strengthen community identity
Maintain economic and social stability
Reflect culture and history
Enables formation of social networks, leadership
Virtual Family Resource Centers
Parent educational resources
Work readiness Networking many
services Positive roles in
community development
Digital technology Parents as
educators
Harvey Family Education Center School-based sites Computer labs Early childhood screening Multiple agencies on site Client track referral system District 152 leadership
East St. Louis, Alpha Omega Work Readiness Center Better Family Life, Inc., nationally
renowned program Alpha Omega Enterprises ESL Enterprise Community Neighborhood Tech. Assistance Center Comprehensive work readiness Neighborhood revitalization strategies
Southern 7 Virtual Community Resource Center 7-county network Central website
and technical assistance
FoCUS Federation lead organization
School-based centers
Referrals to WIA one-stop
Englewood Family Resource Network Six elementary schools Intensive support for at-risk students Literacy training for parents and students Multiple agencies co-locating resources Parents as tutors Southwest Women Working Together,
Mary McDowell Settlement House in lead Leadership training for parents
Humboldt Park Community Learning Centers
Ten schools Builds on
community plan for digital village
After-school and evening centers
Parent-driven Led by NNNN
Near Northwest Neighborhood Network
North Lawndale Re-entry Network for Ex-Offenders Majority of adult males ex-offenders North Lawndale Employment Network
in lead Statewide model for $2 million US
grant Close cooperation with IDOC Ties with 1st-rate resources already
in community
Targeted Job Training – MLK Center, Rock Island
Douglas Park, Longview, Old Chicago neighborhoods
Sunset Business Park
Subsidize entry phase of employment
Little Village Violence Prevention Collaborative Parent leadership curriculum Youth involvement in designing
community center Gang intervention Creation of community schools Tied to community education plan
& new high school
Maywood Family Education Center
Maywood School District & many partners
Modeled on Harvey center
Health component Early childhood Resource room
University technical assistance and applied research University of Illinois
at Chicago’s Great Cities Institute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s NTAC
Southern Illinois University’s Dunn-Richmond Center
Community Economic Development
IWA-UIC Great Cities Institute Partnership Grants and technical
assistance for: 16th Street
Revitalization Project, N. Lawndale
Comprehensive youth center design, Humboldt Park
Little Village plan on 26th and Kostner
Business roundtable and site inventories, Englewood
5th Street Plan, site inventory, Maywood
Neighborhood indicators research
Leadership training New grant proposals
Dunn-Richmond Center, SIU-C
Southernmost Illinois Agricultural Alliance
Shrimp farming Agri-business Revolving loan fund,
Empowerment Zone Juice processing
plant
UIUC, Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center, ESL
Coordination and expansion of community tech centers
Mini-grants and technical assistance for local CBOs for CED
New neighborhood revitalization project
IWA AmeriCorps 77 members Policy Research
Action Group SIU-E, Rend Lake
CC, Aunt Martha’s Emphasis on youth Placements tied to
core IWA projects Most members
from IWA areas
Tracking Agency Performance Indicators at Community Level Drive state
performance indicators down to community level
Health, economic, social indicators
Illinois system a breakthrough
PB Views
Getting agency “buy-in” –commitment from Governor’s Office
Challenges communities to realign resources & relationships
A priority of foundations
New Fatherhood Initiatives UIC Institute on
Race, Research and Public Policy
De Paul Egan Urban Center
Engage communities in strategic planning
Youth outreach to fathers
Family Enterprise Institute Sinai Community
Institute, and local community development corp.
Building productive family institutions
Policy component Improve local
outcomes