Workforce Development

Program Overview

West Side United’s Workforce Development initiative is a central strategy aimed at increasing economic mobility, reducing unemployment, and closing racial wealth gaps across Chicago’s West Side. The program focuses on preparing residents for high-demand, high-opportunity careers, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, logistics, and facilities management—fields aligned with the hiring needs of West Side anchor institutions.

This initiative is rooted in place-based economic justice, ensuring that residents of historically disinvested neighborhoods not only access jobs, but also gain the skills, credentials, and long-term support needed to thrive in them. The approach includes a mix of career pathway training, job placement, wraparound support services, and employer engagement to create clear, sustainable routes to employment.

Key Partners and Impacts

Workforce Development is built on strong partnerships with:

• Healthcare institutions such as UI Health, Sinai Chicago, and other hospital partners who serve as both employers and collaborators in program design.

• Workforce intermediaries and training providers like the Chicago Urban League and One on One, which assist with training, recruitment, and placement.

• Employers across sectors who commit to inclusive hiring practices and career advancement pathways.

Notable impacts include:

• The Fillmore Center Laundry Linen project, where West Side United coordinated local hiring and training for over 100 residents, with the potential to grow to 300 jobs.

• Career pathway programs aligned with healthcare roles, including phlebotomy, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, and Health IT—connecting local new and incumbent talent with entry points into health systems that offer advancement potential.

In all cases, workforce development efforts are coupled with support services such as transportation assistance, career coaching, and connection to technology resources.

Long-Term Vision

The long-term vision of West Side United’s Workforce Development initiative is to create a self-sustaining talent ecosystem on the West Side—where residents can seamlessly access opportunities, employers can hire locally, and career ladders lead to family-sustaining wages and wealth-building.

This includes:

• Establishing permanent training hubs and partnerships that deliver skills aligned with real-time labor market needs.

• Encouraging anchor institutions to formalize hiring pipelines from West Side neighborhoods and commit to local procurement that drives job creation.

• Scaling support for nontraditional candidates, including young adults, returning citizens, and residents without formal degrees.

Ultimately, West Side United aims to shift the narrative from job scarcity to career abundance, ensuring that economic opportunity is not only accessible—but equitable, durable, and rooted in community.