Skills For Chicagoland's Future

Skills for Chicagoland's Future (SCF) is an independent program of the Aspen Institute that aims to address the growing skills gap challenge in American businesses. By promoting partnerships between employers and community colleges, SCF helps create a talent pipeline to ensure businesses remain competitive. With two local sites in Chicago and Rhode Island, SCF focuses on placing unemployed and underemployed individuals into jobs with local employers through a demand-driven approach. The program has successfully engaged with over 25 employers, resulting in 750 commitments to interview and hire unemployed Cook County job seekers, with over 600 unemployed job seekers hired since its launch in September 2012. SCF also matches unemployed residents with immediate hiring needs of local businesses and provides resources for training programs to equip job seekers with the necessary skills.