Regional Collaboration
Every day, 1.3 million Chicagoans go to work in the hospitals, factories, warehouses, restaurants, hotels and offices that make Chicago's economy run. Another 2.8 million go to work in the region. Although the Chicago Workforce Board is focused on the City of Chicago, we can’t forget that the City is the heart of a larger regional economy. If the Chicago region were a country, it would be the 19th largest economy in the world.
The Chicago Workforce Board was a key driver in the effort to build a framework that allows for long-term regional cooperation and success. The Workforce Boards of Metropolitan Chicago (WBMC), a consortium of the nine Workforce Boards in the region, was created in 2000 to address region-wide workforce, economic and education needs. The regional approach is important because the economic vitality of each area is affected by issues that cross geographic borders. We are more effective in addressing workforce issues and achieving shared goals by building on each other's strengths. We can also reduce duplication of efforts and replicate effective programs.
The regional strategy works in concert with CWB's industry sector focus. Sector engagement is initiated through the convening of Industry Summits. Industry summits bring together all the key stakeholders in a sector to assess short- and long-term workforce needs, and to create recommendations to meet those needs. The summits lead to partnerships and projects in their respective industries. Industry summits have covered the following industries: Healthcare (December 2002); Manufacturing (May 2003); Transportation, Warehousing and Logistics (March 2004); and Hospitality, Tourism and Destination Retail (September 2005); and Finance and Insurance (March 2007). An industry summit for the technology industry is being planned for spring 2008.
For more information on regional collaboration, visit www.workforceboardsmetrochicago.com.