Evaluation reveals that Opportunity Chicago, sites nationwide, documenting innovation in getting Americans back to work

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Opportunity Chicago and 21 other sites that comprise the National Fund for Workforce Solutions is proving that innovative, local approaches to preparing job seekers and workers for careers, built on strong partnerships with employers, can deliver results for local economies.

The National Fund has released the results from the second stage of a comprehensive evaluation. Implementing the National Fund for Workforce Solutions: 2nd Annual National Evaluation Report reveals that, in 2009, the second full year of operation, outcomes generated by the 22 National Fund sites include:

• 18,036 jobseekers and incumbent workers received training and career support, an increase of 286 percent from the year before;
• 9,735 participants received degrees or credentials, compared to 679 in 2008;
• 4,058 jobseekers secured jobs as a result of their participation, up from 893 in 2008;
• Of those who got jobs, 81 percent are working more than 35 hours per week.

“These are encouraging results for jobseekers as well as for initiatives like Opportunity Chicago that are attempting to address unemployment in a new, concerted way,” said Maria Hibbs, executive director at The Partnership for New Communities, a co-founder and lead strategist for the initiative.

Opportunity Chicago is a collaborative workforce development initiative co-founded by The Partnership, the Chicago Housing Authority and the City of Chicago that aims to help 5,000 public-housing residents prepare for and find quality employment over five years (2006-2010). Collaboration, flexibility and cutting-edge programming helped the initiative exceed its goal earlier this year.

“Millions of Americans are desperately seeking jobs with wages and benefits to support their families,” said Fred Dedrick, National Fund Executive Director. “The National Fund for Workforce Solutions, exemplified by the work of Opportunity Chicago, shows that when communities truly understand what skills employers are looking for, they can develop innovative initiatives to deliver the necessary training and education to workers and job seekers.”

The Partnership for New Communities (which pools most private funds for Opportunity Chicago) and all of the funding organizations that comprise The National Fund for Workforce Solutions are the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Grantmaking Award for Collaboration, bestowed by the Council on Foundations. To learn more about the National Fund, visit www.nfwsolutions.org. 

File download: NFWS_Second_Annual_Evaluation_Report_May_2010.pdf

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